NCP has not split, meeting held by Sharad Pawar not official: Praful Patel
The Hindu
NCP leader Praful Patel on July 7 said the party had not broken up, and Ajit Pawar was unanimously appointed as party president by its legislature and organisational wings on June 30.
NCP leader Praful Patel on July 7 said the party had not broken up, and Ajit Pawar was unanimously appointed as party president by its legislature and organisational wings on June 30.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Mr. Patel said they had submitted a petition to the Election Commission of India (ECI) with affidavits of more than 40 MLAs, informing it about Ajit Pawar's appointment and staking claim over the "party name and symbol".
The meeting of the national working committee of the NCP held by Sharad Pawar in Delhi on July 6 was not official, he claimed.
The organisational structure of the party was completely "flawed," Mr. Patel, a veteran NCP leader, said.
Also read: NCP’s Delhi meeting ‘expels’ Ajit Pawar, 11 others from party
“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, Mr. Patel said.
No room for complacency till counting is completed, Chandrababu Naidu tells TDP-BJP-JSP contestants. The TDP-BJP-JSP alliance will register a comfortable victory in the general elections over the YSRCP, he says. Alleging that the YSRCP has conspired to create disturbances on the counting day, the TDP national president advises the chief counting agents and their teams to see to it that the officials adhere to norms related to counting.