NCP Leader Challenges Sunetra Pawar's National Presidency

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sachchidanand Singh issued a legal notice on July 9 challenging the election of Sunetra Pawar as national president. Singh, the Jharkhand State President and former National Secretary, alleges that the February 26 convention in Mumbai violated party protocols by bypassing the Central Election Authority and Returning Officer. He contends that General Secretary Brijmohan Shrivastava independently initiated the election process without the sanction of Praful Patel, who should have officiated as acting president following the death of Ajit Pawar on January 28.

Singh has demanded that the election and the office-bearer lists submitted to the Election Commission of India be declared null and void, calling for fresh elections within 15 days. The challenge coincides with internal concerns regarding the influence of Parth Pawar and the omission of senior leaders from the National Working Committee.

Party leadership has rejected the claims. Spokesperson Suraj Chavan dismissed the notice as an attempt to create a sensation, noting that the election was unanimous. National Working President Praful Patel distanced himself from the legal challenge and affirmed that Sunetra Pawar's selection complied with party rules, though he acknowledged that the party needs to take corrective measures to fill the vacuum left by Ajit Pawar. Additionally, Maharashtra NCP President Sunil Tatkare defended the process as proper and valid, refuting claims of a party rift.