Ajit Pawar Faction Announces Sunil Tatkare as Maharashtra NCP Chief

The Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday appointed Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare as the party's Maharashtra unit chief.

The announcement was made by Praful Patel, who is part of the rebel NCP faction. Patel said that Jayant Patil, who was the incumbent state president, has been removed from the post and Tatkare has been appointed in his place.

Patel said that Patil should immediately hand over the charge to Tatkare and that all decisions in Maharashtra will be taken by Tatkare from now on.

He also announced that Ajit Pawar has been unanimously elected as the leader of the NCP's legislature party.

The announcement of Tatkare's appointment comes as the NCP is facing a split, with a large number of MLAs from the party joining the government led by Eknath Shinde.

Earlier, NCP president Sharad Pawar sacked Patel and Tatkare, both MPs who have sided with Ajit Pawar in his rebellion, from the party.

Patel, a Rajya Sabha MP who was named NCP working president last month, told a press conference here he had informed Patil to hand over the charge to Tatkare. Patel said Ajit Pawar will be the NCP's legislature party leader.

''Today is Guru Purnima; we all wish that Sharad Pawar continues to bless us,'' said Patel Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who was present at the press meet, said he enjoyed the support of ''maximum'' NCP legislators and said he has given a letter to the Assembly Speaker, seeking disqualification of party MLAs Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from the House.

Supriya Sule, the working president of the NCP, has sought the disqualification of Tatkare and Praful Patel for indulging in "anti-party activities".

When asked who will be the NCP's national president now, Ajit Pawar responded, "Have you forgotten that Sharad Pawar is the party's national president?"

Sharad Pawar is the founder and chairman of the NCP. He is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

In other appointments announced by Patel, Rupali Chakankar has been named chief of the NCP's state women's wing, while MLC Amol Mitkari and Anand Paranjpe will be spokespersons. Suraj Chavan has been appointed the party's youth wing president in Maharashtra.