India, July 16 -- Shashikant Shinde, a four-term MLA and water resources minister in the Prithviraj Chavan-led Congress-NCP government in 2013, took over the mantle of Maharashtra state unit president of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) from veteran leader Jayant Patil on Tuesday. While rumours about Patil stepping down from the position, which he held for seven years, have been rife in political circles recently, the final decision was taken in the party's state executive committee meeting on Tuesday.

The change in leadership comes ahead of the crucial local body polls, scheduled later this year. The change is also the first in two years since the vertical split of the party engineered by Ajit Pawar, who walked away with a majority of seni...