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Ajit faction appoints office-bearers while dismissing Sharad Pawar camp
While the Sharad Pawar camp passed eight resolutions, Patel claimed that decisions taken in the Thursday meeting were invalid and appointments made by Pawar were unconstitutional
The Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday claimed that the Delhi meet of the NCP working committee (Sharad Pawar camp) on Thursday was not as per the NCP’s constitution. Praful Patel from the Ajit Pawar camp claimed that the meeting itself was ‘unconstitutional’. While the Sharad Pawar camp passed eight resolutions including one to repose ‘full faith and confidence’ in Sharad Pawar and approved expulsion of the 11 rebels (a decision taken earlier by Sharad Pawar), Patel claimed that decisions taken in the Thursday meeting were invalid and appointments made by Sharad Pawar were unconstitutional as the party (NCP) was with Ajit Pawar.
“Most of the office-bearers are appointed by someone or the other. Our organisational structure is flawed which is against the party’s constitution and thus, the working committee cannot take the decision,” Patel said. “Elections did not take place within the party for the last many years and most of us are appointed and not elected. Thus, going by our own NCP constitution, they (Sharad Pawar camp) do not have any powers,” Patel said.
Meanwhile, the rebel faction continued appointing office-bearers of its choice. While it has already appointed Sunil Tatkare and Deepak Mankar as the NCP- Maharashtra and Pune chiefs, respectively, Pradeep Deshmukh has now been appointed as the NCP Pune executive president. Deshmukh, who was spokesperson of the united NCP, is among those who sided with Ajit Pawar right from day one.
A letter issued by NCP (Ajit Pawar camp) Maharashtra chief Tatkare to Deshmukh said, “You have been appointed as the executive president of the NCP city unit for Pune. I am confident that you will work towards the expansion of the party and taking the policies of the organisation to the people.”
After his appointment, Deshmukh said, “Our leader Ajit Pawar has decided to join the government on the issue of development. On this backdrop, I will work towards highlighting the developmental issues in Pune and take everyone along.”
With Pune district being Deshmukh’s home ground, the NCP (Ajit Pawar camp) will be focusing on Pune ahead of the civic polls. The party will have to regain lost ground in Pune as it had lost control of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2017.
Meanwhile, newly-elected NCP (Ajit Pawar camp) Pune president, Deepak Mankar, has staked claim over ‘NCP Bhavan’, the party’s office in Pune which is currently with the Sharad Pawar camp.
