Mumbai, April 2 Amid allegations that Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare attempted to take control of the NCP after the death of then Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his son Parth Pawar said on Thursday that the reports targeting the two senior leaders were "baseless and speculative".
Such narratives were "nothing but fiction", he said in a statement, and claimed that attempts were being made to drag these respected leaders into "manufactured controversies".
Patel and Tatkare have demonstrated decades of commitment and leadership which continue to guide the party, said Parth, adding, "Such unfounded allegations are deeply unfortunate and must be called out."
Parth's statement came amid speculation that his mother and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar was upset with Patel and Tatkare.
NCP leader Rohit Pawar claimed last week that Sunetra Pawar had written to the Election Commission of India on March 10, informing the poll body about her appointment as party president and stating that any earlier communication received from the party after her husband Ajit Pawar's death in an air crash on January 28 should be ignored.
As per the political grapevine, Sunetra Pawar was not convinced by the clarification Patel and Tatkare gave regarding a letter sent to the ECI before she took over as party chief.
Patel and Tatkare had written to the ECI on February 16, informing that the party constitution had been amended and all powers given to working president Praful Patel, Rohit Pawar claimed, alleging that they were trying to seize control of the party.
Meanwhile, the four-page letter purportedly written by Sunetra Pawar on March 10 informing the ECI about her appointment as party chief has surfaced on social media. Tatkare and Patel are mentioned in the letter without designations, leading to speculation about their status in the organisation.
Notably, Sunetra Pawar visited Delhi on Thursday, and the absence of Patel and Tatkare with her raised eyebrows. A senior party leader said that she was still a member of the Rajya Sabha and attended Parliament as Thursday was the last day of the Budget session.
While NCP spokespersons did not respond to calls seeking comment on Sunetra Pawar's letter to the ECI, an NCP source wondered why the letter conveyed information about only one resolution – announcing Sunetra Pawar's appointment as party chief – to the poll body.
"The contents of this leaked letter are far from the complete truth. It can open a Pandora's box," said a political observer.
"A total of three resolutions were passed at the NCP meeting...about the appointment of national president (Sunetra Pawar), national working president (Patel) and state president (Tatkare)," he said, adding that Patel had told the media about the resolutions after the meeting.
The letter could have been leaked to target Tatkare and Patel, he added.
