NCP Faction Dispute: Ajit Pawar Group Challenges Jayant Patils Presidency

The Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP disputed the internal election process, asserting that Jayant Patils position as Maharashtra unit president was not the result of an election but rather a nomination.

The Ajit Pawar group of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) raised concerns about the party's internal election process during a hearing on disqualification petitions before Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. The faction challenged the presidency of Jayant Patil, who belongs to the rival faction led by Sharad Pawar, claiming that he was not duly elected but rather nominated.

Patil Defends His Position

Patil, representing the Sharad Pawar faction, maintained that he was the legitimate state NCP president as he was elected to the post. He presented a letter from senior leader Praful Patel, now a member of the Ajit Pawar group, as evidence of his appointment.

Term Duration Dispute

Lawyers representing the Ajit Pawar faction argued that Patil's term as state NCP president had expired in 2022. However, Patil countered this argument, asserting that he was elected for a three-year term and would continue to serve until a new appointment was made.

Cross-Examination and Deadline

During the hearing, Patil faced a series of 90 questions, while Shirur Lok Sabha MP Amol Kolhe also underwent cross-examination. The NCP, founded in 1999, experienced a split when Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs loyal to him joined the Shiv Sena-led government on July 2, 2023. This led to the filing of cross-petitions by both factions before the speaker, seeking the disqualification of each other's members from the assembly.

The Supreme Court has set a deadline of January 31 for the speaker's verdict in the NCP disqualification case.