NCP has not split, working committee meeting held by Sharad Pawar invalid: Praful Patel

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Paraful Patel said that the party had not broken up, and that Ajit Pawar had been unanimously elected to lead it on June 30 by both its legislative and organisational divisions.

Patel claimed they had submitted a petition to the Election Commission of India (ECI) alerting it of Ajit Pawar's appointment and asserting claim to the party name and symbol with affidavits of more than 40 MLAs, during a press conference held here.

The meeting of the national working committee of the NCP held by Sharad Pawar in Delhi on Thursday was not official, he claimed. The organizational structure of the party was completely flawed, Patel, a veteran NCP leader, said.

An important meeting was held on June 30 at Devgiri (Ajit Pawar's official residence in Mumbai) where legislators, office-bearers and party workers were present. They unanimously appointed Ajit Pawar as their leader, he said.

Immediately after the appointment, Ajit Pawar conveyed to the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar that Praful Patel has been appointed as national working president, Patel said.

Who will determine (which is) the (real) political party? It is in the domain of the Election Commission of India while actions of the legislators is the domain of the Speaker, Patel said.