New Delhi: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Working President, Praful Patel, on Tuesday downplayed the ongoing debate over the merger of the two NCP factions, saying that he will not speak on hypothetical questions.
Patel, after offering tributes to late Deputy Chief Minister and NCP National President Ajit Pawar at the party office said, “I will only speak about my party as it exists today. I will not comment on any hypothetical scenarios.”
He emphasised that the decision-making process regarding the party’s future rests solely with its current leadership and will remain internal to their organisation.
Patel’s statement comes when leaders from the Sharad Pawar camp claimed that Ajit Pawar himself had expressed a desire for a merger before his death in a plane crash recently.
NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar last week had said that series of meeting took place with Ajit Pawar for a reunion between the two factions and Ajit Pawar was to announce the decision on February 12.
He signalled that the Ajit Pawar faction intends to maintain its independent identity for now.
On the party leadership, Patel clarified that as the Working President, it is his responsibility to manage the party’s transition following Ajit Pawar’s death.
Patel noted that he and Sunil Tatkare (Maharashtra State President) must lead from the front during this time.
Patel explained that the party leadership met Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar to assure them of the party’s firm support.
“We requested her to accept the responsibility of the Deputy Chief Minister’s post. She accepted that request. ‘Dada’ (Ajit Pawar) was someone who never believed in coming to a standstill. Once we explained our position, she made the decision. We are satisfied that she heeded our insistence. She mentioned that the family observes three days of mourning; hence, she arrived in Mumbai on the fourth day and the swearing-in took place. I don’t understand why people are still creating controversies,” Patel said.
On the race for the National President’s post, Patel explicitly stated, “I, Praful Patel, am not in the race for the post of National President.”
He explained that while he is fulfilling his primary duty of filling up the positions of Legislative Party Leader and Deputy Chief Minister, the appointment of a National President requires a formal party meeting and the consensus of party leaders and public sentiment.
He was responding to the comments made by MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Ajit Pawar’s successor as the National President.
Raj Thackeray had posted on social media suggesting that a “Patel” should not be the president of Ajit Pawar’s party. Similarly, Sanjay Raut suggested that the leader should be a “Jadhav, Patil, or Kamble.”
Patel continued his attack on Raj Thackeray, saying, “Even when we haven’t said anything, creating suspicion within our party is ‘dirty politics.’ I am stating clearly that a suitable person will be chosen, and it won’t be me. Is Raj Thackeray a member of my party? Is he going to decide who our leader is? We don’t need advice from Raj Thackeray, or the ‘9 AM bulletin’ (referring to Sanjay Raut), or anyone from Telangana (referring to Congress legislator Vijay Wadettiwar).”
An infuriated Praful Patel stated, “We will make our own decisions. The party’s decision will be made through the proper process. We have already decided on Sunetra Pawar as Deputy CM. The party president will also be decided soon. Why are outsiders commenting? Why are people who have never even contested an election speaking? My father was elected by the people of Maharashtra since 1952, and I have been elected by the people as well. Those commenting on our background should be ashamed. I sit here as a representative of the people of Maharashtra. The party’s decision will be in the right direction, for the right person, and it will be someone other than me.”
He reiterated his respect for Sunetra Pawar and Ajit Pawar’s family, stating there should be no doubt about the party’s regard for them. Patel reminded the media that he was the most senior colleague to Ajit Pawar and stood by the decision made in 2023 to split and join the government, along with other senior leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal, Sunil Tatkare, and Dilip Walse Patil.
(IANS)
