NCP Leaders Meet Amit Shah Amid Internal Leadership Disputes
Nationalist Congress Party leaders met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss portfolio demands and internal friction regarding the leadership of Sunetra and Parth Pawar.
Six senior leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on November 1, 2026. The delegation, which included Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, sought the return of the Finance Ministry portfolio in Maharashtra and expressed dissatisfaction with the party's internal functioning.
The meeting sparked speculation of a leadership rift because NCP president Sunetra Pawar and MP Parth Pawar were absent. Some senior leaders criticized the authoritarian leadership style of Sunetra Pawar and her son, Parth Pawar, who has unofficially led the party since the death of Ajit Pawar in a January plane crash. These veterans cited their exclusion from key decisions and a failure to win any seats in recent Legislative Council elections as primary grievances.
Following the New Delhi visit, the delegation returned to Mumbai on November 2 for a core committee meeting convened by Sunetra Pawar. While NCP spokesperson Umesh Patil dismissed reports of a crisis as an artificial narrative, Sunil Tatkare emphasized the party's historical commitment to collective leadership. The Bharatiya Janata Party indicated support for Sunetra Pawar but acknowledged the grievances directed at Parth Pawar's decision-making process.
