Former NCP (Sharad Pawar Faction) Leader Prashant Jagtap Joins Congress Amid Political Speculation
Former NCP (Sharad Pawar Faction) Leader Prashant Jagtap Joins Congress Amid Political Speculation
Pune, December 26, 2025: Former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader from the Sharadchandra Pawar faction, Prashant Sudamrao Jagtap, formally joined the Congress party on Thursday, days after resigning from the NCP on December 24. Jagtap was inducted into the Congress in the presence of senior party leader Maharashtra Congress chief Harshawardhan Sakpal, marking a significant political shift ahead of the upcoming civic and state-level developments.
The programme also saw attendance of senior Congress leader Mohan Joshi from Pune and many former NCP SP leaders Mohsin Shaikh, Kashif Sayyed, Sandeep Balwadkar and several others.
Jagtap’s exit from the NCP SP came amid growing internal unrest within the party. Over the past few days, he had expressed dissatisfaction with ongoing political developments, particularly following speculation about a possible rapprochement between the Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar factions of the NCP. He had openly voiced his concerns, stating that such moves were contrary to his political stance and principles.
Subsequently, Jagtap resigned from his position as city president of the party and also gave up his primary membership, ending a long association of nearly 26 years with the NCP. His decision triggered considerable discussion in political circles, given his seniority and grassroots influence.
Adding to the political buzz were speculations that Jagtap might join the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction. Sources confirmed that a brief conversation took place between Jagtap and Uddhav Thackeray late Thursday night, further fuelling conjecture about his next move. However, Jagtap ultimately chose to align himself with the Congress.
Political observers see Jagtap’s entry into the Congress as a strategic development, especially at a time when realignments within Maharashtra’s opposition parties continue to reshape the political landscape.
