MUMBAI, 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 senior leaders to align with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti government. Once a Mathadi (head loader) union leader, Shinde, 61, faces an uphill task to re-energise the party, which fared poorly as a Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partner in the assembly elections held in November last year. Soon after taking over charge of the beleaguered party's state unit, Shinde announced a month-long state-wide tour. "I will tour the entire state in the next one month to meet young people who are keen to serve Maharashtra and incorporate them in the party to strengthen it," he said. Taking a dig at the ruling parties he said they "were crushing the voices speaking up against them". "Politics has changed now. In the past, the opposition used to raise issues to vote people out of the ruling parties. Today's regime is misusing its power and luring legislators. I will ensure people are made aware of this prevailing scenario," he said. Shinde, a Maratha, hails from the party's erstwhile stronghold of Satara district, in western Maharashtra. A Pawar loyalist, he started out as a union leader of Mathadi workers and was once active in Navi Mumbai's APMC. A majority of the state's Mathadi workers come from western Maharashtra. Pawar chose to field him for the assembly elections from Koregaon, despite his defeat in the Lok Sabha elections from the Satara parliamentary constituency. He lost both the elections by a close margin to Mahesh Shinde (Shiv Sena) and Udayanraje Bhosale (BJP), respectively. After Shinde's name was finalised in the party's core committee meeting on Tuesday, Pawar directed former home minister Anil Deshmukh to propose the resolution, which was seconded by party MP Amol Kolhe and former MLA Sunil Bhusara. People in the know of things within the party told Hindustan Times, Jayant Patil, an eight-term MLA from Islampur constituency, Sangli, had requested Pawar to allow him to step down, soon after the party performed poorly in the assembly elections. Of the 86 seats contested, the party only won 10. Since then, some leaders of the party have been seeking a new leader to take over the responsibility of Maharashtra president. A party leader, who did not wish to be named, said: "Patil is now looking to launch his son Pratik in politics. His earlier attempts to field him from the Sangli Lok Sabha constituency failed in the three-party led MVA coalition." In his last address as state party president, Patil scotched speculations about joining BJP, saying, "I am stepping away but not leaving. I have taken a step back but my goal remains firm. I was for Maharashtra yesterday and I still am today."...