Sunil Tatkare appointed State President of NCP in Maharashtra: Praful Patel

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 3 : Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel on Monday in a joint conference announced that Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare has been appointed as the new State President of the party in Maharashtra.

During a joint conference, the NCP leader Patel announced, "We are relieving Jayant Patil of his responsibilities and in his place, I am appointing Sunil Tatkare as Maharashtra President of Nationalist Congress Party. Sunil Tatkare will have the authority to make organizational changes in the party."

He further said that Ajit Pawar has been unanimously elected as the leader of the legislature party.

"Ajit Pawar has been unanimously elected as the leader of the legislature party. We have informed Maharashtra Assembly Speaker about our decision. Anil Bhaidas Patil has been appointed as the chief whip of NCP in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. We request him (Sharad Pawar) with folded hands to give us his blessings as he is our guru", Patel said.

During the press briefing, the newly elected party state president Sunil Tatkare said he will strengthen the party in Maharashtra.

"I have taken over as the State president of the Nationalist Congress Party. I will strengthen the party in Maharashtra. I have taken into confidence all leaders of the party. I have also called a meeting of all the legislators and zila parishad leaders", Sunil Tatkare said.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP leaders joined the Eknath Shinde-led administration in Maharashtra on Sunday. Patel was present at the hastily organised swearing ceremony that took place at Raj Bhavan.

Earlier on July 2, NCP working President Praful Patel on Sunday said that no one has any pressure from anywhere when asked if the NCP leaders joining the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis Maharashtra Government had any pressure from the Enforcement Directorate, as alleged by NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

"I will not comment on whatever our leader Sharad Pawar has said, he is a highly respectable person. Whatever decision we have taken... as Ajit Pawar mentioned in his press conference, it is the party's decision, a collective decision. There is no pressure from anyone..," says NCP working president Praful Patel on party chief Sharad Pawar's statement hinting that the NCP split under indirect pressure from the Enforcement Directorate.

Talking to reporters after his nephew and eight other party leaders rebelled and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar said he was not worried about what happened and will work to strengthen the party again.

He also hinted at action against party leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, saying they did not follow their responsibilities. Sharad Pawar said some of those who joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government were facing ED cases.

Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Minister. Eight other NCP leaders took oath as ministers.

"This is not 'googly', it is a robbery. It is not a small thing," Sharad Pawar said."Some of my colleagues have taken a different stand. I had called a meeting of all the leaders on July 6, where some important issue was to be discussed and some changes were to be made within the party but before that meeting, some of the leaders have taken a different stand," he added.

Sharad Pawar said that they will sit with Congress and Uddhav Thackeray in the next two to three days to access the situation.

"Our main strength is the common people, they have elected us."

Apparently referring to Ajit Pawar who faced accusations related to the alleged irrigation scam, Pawar took a dig at BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying, "It is clear that all the charges have been cleared".

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