NCP to host 'chintan shivir' on Sep 19 to prepare expansion roadmap, make party future-ready

Mumbai, Sep 5 (PTI) Maharashtra ruling coalition partner NCP will organise a day-long conclave on September 19 in Nagpur to draw a roadmap for national expansion and to strengthen organizational structure from the ground up as it completes more than two years in power with allies.

The brainstorming session, called 'Rashtravadi Chintan Shivir', will be a national-level introspection and strategy session to chalk out important steps in the party's organizational overhaul and prepare it to tap opportunities and expand support base going forward, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) state president Sunil Tatkare said on Friday.

The party headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti coalition which also comprises BJP and Shiv Sena. The conclave is taking place at a time when Maharashtra is facing Maratha-OBC tussle on quota and parties are preparing for polls to rural and urban local bodies, including the Mumbai civic body.

"This is not just a regular meeting, it's a powerful message. For the first time in decades, our party is organizing such a grand and meaningful chintan shivir. Under the leadership of Ajit Pawar, the NCP is preparing for the future, not just for the next election, but for the next two decades," he affirmed.

Tatkare noted that after months of tireless ground-level work and a spectacular performance in the 2024 Assembly elections where the party secured 58,16,566 votes (nearly three times more than its Lok Sabha tally), the NCP is now looking at organizational and ideological transformation.

The NCP bagged just one Lok Sabha seat (won by Tatkare) in Maharashtra in June last year, but vastly improved its performance in the November 2024 Assembly polls, winning 41 seats of the 59 it contested in alliance with the BJP and Shiv Sena.

"This chintan shivir will bring together our MLAs, MPs, senior leaders, youth representatives, and thinkers from all over the country. Together, we will discuss how to reach every household, every village, and every voter, not just with slogans, but with action," maintained the Lok Sabha MP from Raigad.

Tatkare said the day-long gathering is expected to discuss a roadmap for national expansion, renewed push for youth and women-centric policies, local body election preparedness across Maharashtra and strengthening party structure right from booth to state level. PTI MR RSY