Mumbai, Nov 4 — Amid growing tension between the veterans and young turks, the NCP chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar has convened an urgent meeting of the core committee on Wednesday at her official residence, Devgiri.
This is the second meeting after the core committee first met on Monday. The first meeting happened after the senior leaders met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday and complained about the unilateral functioning of NCP MP Parth Pawar and their neglect in decision-making.
Wednesday's core committee meeting is also important after the party legislators and ministers on Tuesday expressed serious concerns over internal frictions and claimed the party is weakening in the absence of unity.
Sources said the core committee is expected to discuss the visits of ministers, legislators and MPs to the drought-hit areas and activating the party strengthening programme.
Earlier, in a meeting held on Tuesday, NCP leaders and MLAs voiced strong concerns, stating that the party appears weak and that grassroots members are left in the dark about ongoing friction among senior leadership. The meeting of all NCP MLAs took place at the official residence of the party's National President and Deputy Chief Minister, Sunetra Pawar. Key leaders, including National Working President Praful Patel, State President Sunil Tatkare, senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal, and Dilip Walse Patil, were in attendance, along with over 20 MLAs.
During the meeting, State President Sunil Tatkare guided the MLAs on party organisation and how to tackle the severe drought situation prevailing across the state. Tatkare instructed all MLAs to visit drought-affected areas to understand the grievances of farmers and make concerted efforts to secure government assistance for them.
Party minister Makarand Patil and legislators Anil Bhaidas Patil and Sangram Jagtap raised the issue of internal friction and what was happening at the level of seniors. They argued that the party is becoming weak in the absence of a show of unity. Anil Bhaidas Patil raised a demand that the party should make concerted efforts to reclaim the crucial Finance portfolio. Additionally, several MLAs voiced complaints regarding alliance partners within the ruling Mahayuti coalition.
Notably, a majority of the MLAs, including Sunil Shelke, complained that their constituency works were not being processed or approved under the departments managed by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Further, Minister Makarand Patil complained about the BJP's dominance and its efforts to weaken the allies. He narrated the manner in which the BJP won the Satara Zilla Parishad polls, bypassing the NCP and Shiv Sena. He said that the NCP and Shiv Sena therefore fought together the recently concluded elections to the Satara District Central Cooperative Bank against the BJP.
MLA Saroj Ahire claimed that the BJP and the Nashik District administration are not keeping her in the loop, especially during the implementation of a slew of works for the Sinhasth Kumbh Mela. Another MLA, Hiraman Khosksar, apprehended that if the NCP got a step-motherly treatment in the allocation of funds, they would face defeat in the 2029 Assembly polls. Following instructions from the senior leadership encouraging legislators to freely express their challenges and opinions, the MLAs directly questioned the top brass regarding ongoing internal conflicts within the party.
On Monday, the senior leaders, including Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil, briefed the core committee about their meeting with HM Amit Shah. They told the party chief how BJP and HM Shah are concerned over the present state of affairs of the NCP, emphasising the need for corrective steps. The delegation comprising all top leaders of the party, except Pawars, was reportedly advised by HM Shah to 'pull up the socks' as the collapse of the NCP organisation was hurting Mahayuti in Maharashtra.
The NCP leaders had sought HM Shah's appointment to discuss the organisational matters as well as allotment of cabinet portfolios in Maharashtra, due to the NCP. The delegation included Rajya Sabha member Praful Patel, NCP state chief Sunil Tatkare, minister Hasan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal, former Ministers Dilip Walse-Patil and Dhananjay Munde. Bhujbal's nephew and former Lok Sabha member Sameer was also part of the delegation.
Both Patel and Tatkare, in the past, have openly called for introspection within the NCP following its defeat in the recently held legislative council elections. Bhujbal is miffed over the decision to appoint MLC Zeeshan Siddique as Mumbai NCP chief without even informing him. Both Walse-Patil and Munde are out of the state cabinet despite vacancies. The Finance portfolio, which was originally with the NCP, was taken up by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the death of Ajit Pawar. Despite repeated demands, the BJP has not handed over the portfolio to the NCP.
Mushrif was asked to step aside from Pune graduates' constituency polls after the NCP let go of its claim and gave the seat to the BJP. Mushrif's trusted aide, Bhaiyya Mane, was to contest the election originally. Sources within the NCP said that a lack of collective leadership within the NCP was one of the key issues discussed with HM Shah. “While the issue of lack of collective leadership within the party was discussed, it was told to them that the NCP leaders need to ensure smooth functioning of the party,” said an NCP leader privy to the discussions.
“These leaders were told that the problems within the NCP organisation are not harming them only, but being in Mahayuti, it is affecting the ruling alliance as a whole. If these issues are not resolved, then the alliance will face problems,” the source said.
Another party leader confirmed that HM Shah maintained that the BJP was closely observing the developments in Maharashtra. The NCP officially downplayed the visit. "It is highly unfortunate that unnecessary political colour is being given to the Wednesday meeting in Delhi between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and senior leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party, attempting to fabricate a narrative of internal party differences," said Umesh Patil, National Spokesperson, NCP.
Patil said that the meeting of senior NCP leaders took place after Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar, in her last meeting with HM Shah, had mentioned that a delegation of senior leaders from the party would be meeting him and had requested time to be made available. He said that it appears that certain unseen forces are planting such reports to create an artificial narrative that there are internal differences within the Nationalist Congress Party and a lack of coordination in the leadership.