NCP’s June 30 meet an illusion: Sharad Pawar faction

The Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP has dismissed the alleged meeting that elected Ajit Pawar as national president, questioning its authenticity and arguing that the assembly speaker cannot bypass the party. The faction presented evidence of the party's national convention in 2022 and the creation of new posts and election of leaders. The counsel for the faction stated that this evidence proves that the party was functioning according to its constitution under the leadership of Sharad Pawar.

The alleged meeting on June 30, 2023, which elected Ajit Pawar as national president, is an illusion, said the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday and questioned the authenticity of the election.

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The faction also argued that it is not in the jurisdiction of the assembly speaker to bypass the political party and consider the legislative party while determining the will of the party.

“The NCP’s case is different from that of the Shiv Sena since there is no dispute over the constitution of the party. The speaker can cross-check if the organisational structure of the NCP under the president, Sharad Pawar, was in accordance with its constitution or not. Besides, we have evidence to show that the NCP under Sharad Pawar had an organisational structure as per the constitution and it was also functioning according to the constitution. So, the meeting on June 30, which elected Ajit Pawar as national president, is an illusion,” Sharan Jagtiani, counsel for the Sharad Pawar camp, said.

After the cross-examination in the NCP MLAs’ disqualification hearing, the final arguments began before speaker Rahul Narwekar on Tuesday.

In his day-long argument, Jagtiani cited various quotes from the orders by the Supreme Court in cases like those of Sadiq Ali and the Shiv Sena MLAs’ disqualification.

Jagtiani also presented evidence about the national convention of the NCP held in September 2022 and how the new posts were created, and leaders were elected to those posts.

“Praful Patel was elected as working president of the NCP in that convention. Patel himself thanked party president Sharad Pawar for giving him the responsibility. Besides, MP Sunil Tatkare was elected as national general secretary. Tatkare has accepted in his cross-examination that he discharged the functions as general secretary of the party. Further, an official press release was issued to declare the structure of the party organisation and the responsibilities given to the leaders,” Jagtiani said.

He added that all these material with unimpeachable credibility shows the party under the president, Sharad Pawar, had an organisational structure and was working according to the constitution of the party.