Mumbai: Fresh cracks have surfaced within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) after it emerged that party chief and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar was not informed about senior leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare's late-night meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier this week, according to a TOI report.
The meeting at Fadnavis' official residence, Varsha, fuelled speculation over internal power struggles within the NCP, particularly after reports suggested Sunetra Pawar sought an explanation from Tatkare over why she had not been informed.
Tatkare, however, dismissed the controversy, saying the meeting was related to issues concerning his Lok Sabha constituency and did not warrant prior discussion with the party leadership.
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"I have good tuning and communication with Sunetra 'vahini.' This was not a political meeting, or we would have discussed it in advance. I had asked the chief minister for time to discuss matters in my constituency," Tatkare told reporters. "I have been in politics for decades, and I understand protocol," he added.
Tatkare said Praful Patel's presence at the meeting was coincidental as he had separately sought time to meet the chief minister. He also denied meeting NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil, who was present at Varsha around the same time.
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The presence of Patel, Tatkare and Patil at the chief minister's residence had sparked speculation that talks were underway on a possible merger between the NCP and the NCP (SP).
However, Jayant Patil said he had met Fadnavis over the disqualification of the mayor of a municipal council in his constituency.
Tatkare ruled out any merger discussions, saying, "Talks were at their final stages when Ajitdada was alive. After his death, NCP (SP) leaders themselves said that the talks had come to a full stop. After that, there has been no new proposal from them."
On the NCP (SP)'s indication that it could support the NDA's delimitation bill if its conditions were met, Tatkare said, "Supporting a bill does not mean joining the NDA. On so many matters of national importance, the opposition has supported bills and they have been passed unanimously."
The episode comes amid an increasingly visible leadership tussle within the NCP following Ajit Pawar's death. Sunetra Pawar and her son, MP Parth Pawar, have assumed a larger role in the party, while Praful Patel and Tatkare are widely seen as being sidelined.
Tatkare also said NCP leaders, including Sunetra Pawar, would meet Fadnavis to discuss the finance portfolio, which the chief minister has been handling since Ajit Pawar's death.
He added that the notice issued by NCP national secretary Sachchidanand Singh challenging Sunetra Pawar's leadership would be discussed during a meeting of senior party leaders, including Parth Pawar, Patel and Tatkare, in Delhi during the ongoing Parliament session. "This has already been discussed at the party's core committee meeting," he said.
(With inputs from TOI)
