Rift in NCP in the open: Legal challenge to Sunetra election, Praful Patel says need for corrective measures in party | Mumbai News
PUNE: The fracture within the NCP’s leadership was made public on Monday with party national secretary Sachchidanand Singh sending a legal notice challenging deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar’s election as national NCP president. On Monday, the party’s working president Praful Patel also spoke out about the vacuum in the party after Sunetra’s husband Ajit Pawar’s death and the “need for corrective measures.”“To fill Ajit Pawar’s vacuum is not an easy task.
There is a need to take corrective measures within the party,” Patel told mediapersons in what is his first public acknowledgement of the NCP’s internal issues After former NCP chief and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s death in an air crash in Jan, the party has gone through a leadership churn. As his wife Sunetra Pawar took over the party’s reins, Patel and state party chief Sunil Tatkare were viewed as challengers and increasingly sidelined. Instead, her son, Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar, started calling the shots within the party. The rise of Parth Pawar has not gone down well with many within the party, who are questioning why they need to listen to someone with little political experience.Singh served a legal notice dated July 9 to Sunetra Pawar, Praful Patel and national general secretary Brijmohan Shrivastav, demanding that her election be declared null and void.According to party records dated Feb 17, it was agreed that national working president Praful Patel would temporarily officiate as the national president following Ajit Pawar’s passing, the letter said. It also said that the party’s constitution was amended on Feb 16.“Instead of following proper constitutional protocols, Brijmohan Shrivastav, a General Secretary, independently passed a resolution on February 18, calling for a national convention and initiating an election process to choose a permanent Party President,” Singh stated in the notice. However, it said the power to call for a national convention rested solely with Patel.The letter thus calls into question the validity of the national convention held at the NSCI Club on Feb 26, in which Sunetra Pawar was elected as national NCP chief.Singh has also questioned the party’s official submissions to the Election Commission of India. The notice points out that the communications sent by the party to the EC on Feb 28 and March 10 regarding the election are “internally inconsistent”. Also, Singh said that a final list of office-bearers was submitted to the EC on April 29, without any notification or mandate from the national delegates.Singh has given the party 15 days to declare Sunetra Pawar’s election and that of the revised list of office-bearers null and void. He has asked for the party’s communications to the EC on Feb 28, March 10 and April 29 to also be declared void. Besides, he has sought constitution of a Central Election Authority to conduct fresh, free and fair organisational elections strictly adhering to the party constitution after serving due notice to all national delegates.How tensions grew within partyJan 28: Ajit Pawar dies in an air crash at BaramatiFeb 26: Sunetra Pawar elected as national NCP president at the party’s national convention at the NSCI Club in Mumbai. Praful Patel is re-elected as national working president and Sunil Tatkare as state party presidentFeb 28: Sunetra writes to the Election Commission, asks for decisions between Ajit Pawar’s death and her elevation to be declared null and voidMarch 10: Sunetra Pawar writes to the EC about her appointment as party chief. She sends a list of 14 office-bearers but omits the designations of 12 members, including Praful Patel and Sunil TatkareApril 29: Sunetra Pawar’s letter to EC lists Pawar and Tatkare as part of its national executive but omits their designations as national working president and state presidentJune 12: Sunetra targets indiscipline in the party
