NCP Leaders Meet Amit Shah Amid Organisational Crisis

A delegation of senior NCP leaders met Union Home Minister Amit Shah late Sunday night, seeking his intervention in the party’s organisational affairs amid growing discontent over the functioning of Deputy Chief Minister and party chief Sunetra Pawar and her son, Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar. “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,” an NCP leader privy to the discussions said. Shah is learnt to have told the leaders to “pull up their socks”, pointing out that the weakening of the NCP organisation was affecting the functioning of the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra. “The leaders were told (by Shah) 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, the alliance will face problems,” a source said. Another NCP leader confirmed that Shah had indicated that the BJP was closely monitoring developments within the party and the political situation in Maharashtra. The delegation – which included senior leaders like Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel, NCP state president Sunil Tatkare, ministers Hasan Mushrif and Chhagan Bhujbal, former ministers Dilip Walse-Patil and Dhananjay Munde, and former Lok Sabha MP Sameer Bhujbal – reportedly also apprised Shah of organisational issues and the delay in allocation of Cabinet portfolios to the NCP. The meeting with Shah comes against the backdrop of a core committee meeting at Suntera’s residence in Mumbai and also amid growing unease within the NCP following its defeat in the recent MLC elections. Both Patel and Tatkare have publicly called for introspection within the party. Individual grievances among several senior leaders also seem to be plaguing the NCP. Bhujbal is reportedly upset over the appointment of MLC Zeeshan Siddique as Mumbai NCP president without being consulted. Walse-Patil and Munde, meanwhile, remain outside the Cabinet despite vacancies. The allocation of the Finance portfolio has also emerged as a contentious issue. The portfolio, which was held by the late Ajit Pawar till his death in January, was subsequently taken over by the BJP. Despite repeated demands, the BJP has not returned it to the NCP. Mushrif, too, was asked to withdraw from the Pune Graduates’ constituency election after the NCP relinquished its claim to the seat in favour of the BJP. His close aide, Bhaiyya Mane, was initially expected to contest the election. The NCP, however, sought to play down the significance of the meeting, denying reports of internal differences. “It is highly unfortunate that unnecessary political colour is being given to today’s 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,” NCP national spokesperson Umesh Patil said. Patil said the meeting had been planned after Sunetra, during her previous meeting with Shah, suggested that a delegation of senior party leaders meet him and sought an appointment. He alleged that “certain unseen forces” were attempting to create an artificial narrative of internal differences and a lack of coordination within the NCP leadership.