NCP office-bearer moves ECI over Sunil Tatkare’s election as state NCP chief

Bhausaheb Gore, an NCP office-bearer from Jalna, has urged the ECI to declare Maharashtra NCP president Sunil Tatkare’s re-election invalid

MUMBAI: Days after poll strategist Prashant Kishor allegedly advised the removal of Maharashtra NCP president Sunil Tatkare, a complaint has been filed with the Election Commission of India (ECI) challenging Tatkare’s reappointment to the post on the grounds that it was illegal.

Maharashtra NCP president Sunil Tatkare (Hindustan Times)

The complainant is Bhausaheb Gore, an NCP office-bearer from Jalna. “His election was illegal as it violated the provisions of the party’s constitution, which is not acceptable to party workers who are loyal to Ajit Pawar,” Gore told a Marathi news channel. “The election programme was not announced and no dates were declared for filing or withdrawing nominations. Nor was a returning officer appointed. Without following any of these prescribed procedures, Tatkare got himself elected when his three-year term was due to end in July 2026.”

Gore has urged the ECI to declare Tatkare’s re-election invalid. His complaint comes weeks after another NCP office-bearer, Sachchidanand Singh, approached the ECI challenging the election of Sunetra Pawar as the party’s national president on similar grounds. The development is being seen as a sign of intensifying infighting within the NCP, which is an ally of the BJP in Maharashtra as well as at the Centre.

Tatkare was re-elected as Maharashtra NCP president on February 26 alongside Sunetra Pawar, who was elected as the party’s national president, and Praful Patel, who was elected national working president.

A leader close to Tatkare, however, denied any violation of the party’s constitutional provisions. “Sunil Tatkare was elected at the national convention, which was convened under unusual circumstances following the death of NCP president Ajit Pawar,” he said.

This is not the first time party office-bearers have openly voiced their opposition to Tatkare. Leaders such as Rupali Thombre-Patil had demanded his resignation as state president soon after reports emerged that poll strategist Prashant Kishor had suggested that the NCP leadership replace Tatkare with a new face.

After taking charge as NCP national president, Sunetra Pawar introduced a series of organisational and constitutional changes. One of the more contentious changes involved the omission of Praful Patel’s designation as national working president and Sunil Tatkare’s designation as Maharashtra state president from the national Working Committee. She later clarified that the omissions were inadvertent, but the changes were not subsequently rectified.