Praful Patel denies reports of his appointment as NCP chief; Piyush Goyal retracts remark

Patel, who is the NCP’s working president, posted on X stating that reports of his appointment were false. “The NCP is a democratic institution. A decision of this magnitude will only be made by consulting our senior leadership and MLAs, engaging with party office-bearers, and respecting the collective will of our members

MUMBAI: Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel on Sunday denied reports that he had been appointed the party’s national president, calling the claims “totally baseless” and lacking any truth. Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare also said no such decision had been taken.

Mumbai, Jan 31 (ANI): Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar, NCP leaders Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, NCP MP Sunil Dattatray Tatkare and others during the oath ceremony of Sunetra Pawar as Deputy CM of Maharashtra at the Lok Bhavan, in Mumbai on Saturday. (ANI Photo) (Deepak Salvi)

The clarification came after Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal made remarks in an interview to PTI suggesting that Patel had been named NCP president following the death of party chief and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. Goyal later withdrew the statement, saying it was based on incorrect information.

In the PTI interview, Goyal had spoken about the prospects of a merger between the two NCP factions and said that the party was now functioning under new leadership. His remarks triggered political reactions in Maharashtra, prompting swift denials from NCP leaders.

Tatkare told reporters that no decision regarding the party’s top organisational post had been made. “I have not heard what Piyush Goyal has said, but no such decision has been taken,” he said, adding that any leadership decision would follow due party process.

Patel, who is the NCP’s working president, posted on X stating that reports of his appointment were false. “The NCP is a democratic institution. A decision of this magnitude will only be made by consulting our senior leadership and MLAs, engaging with party office-bearers, and respecting the collective will of our members,” he said.

Goyal, too, issued a clarification on X, saying he had relied on wrong information provided to him by a senior journalist. “Without verifying the information, I made certain statements in the media. It later came to light that the information was incorrect, and the NCP continues to function under the leadership of deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar. I regret the misleading information,” he said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray also weighed in on the leadership issue, saying that a party rooted in Marathi identity should be led by someone who reflects that ethos. His remarks were widely seen as a veiled dig at Patel amid uncertainty over the NCP’s top organisational posts.