NCP meet called by Pawar not valid: Ajit

Mumbai: Ajit Pawar-led NCP on Thursday objected to a national executive meeting called in New Delhi by Sharad Pawar stating that the latter does not have the authority to call such a meeting as the dispute pertaining to who represents NCP is pending before the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Just four days after Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis government, the NCP founder Sharad Pawar held a working committee meeting of the party at his residence in New Delhi on Thursday. Following this, Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, issued a statement that Sharad Pawar was removed from the post of party’s national president and Ajit Pawar was elected new national president of the party last week and therefore he cannot hold NCP’s national executive meeting.

“It has been learnt from various media reports that Sharad Pawar had called a meeting of the National Executive/National Working Committee/National Office Bearers/State Party Presidents of the NCP on Thursday at New Delhi. Ajit Pawar has been elected as the National President of NCP on June 30, 2023 with the overwhelming support of the majority of elected representatives of NCP as well as the members working on different organisational posts,” the statement reads.

It further said that Ajit Pawar has also filed a petition before the ECI, stating that he represents the real NCP and therefore, the name of the party along with the symbol should be granted to him.

 “The dispute on the question of who represents the real NCP is within the exclusive jurisdiction of the ECI and therefore no person within the Party has any authority to call for any meeting of the National Executive/National Working Committee/ National Office Bearers / State Party Presidents till such time the dispute is finally decided by the ECI,” Ajit said.

He further said that there is no legal sanctity to the meeting of the National Executive/National Working Committee/ National Office Bearers / State Party Presidents of the NCP, which was held in New Delhi.

 “Further, any of the decisions which may be taken in the so-called National Executive/National Working Committee/ National Office Bearers / State Party Presidents shall have no valid legal basis and shall not be binding on anyone in the Party,” the deputy chief minister said.

After concluding the meeting in New Delhi, the NCP founder said that he is the president of NCP. If someone claims that he is the president, it is completely false.