MUMBAI: A fresh political storm has erupted within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) after the appointment of National President Sunetra Pawar was challenged through a legal notice by former party National Secretary Sachchidanand Singh. The development has exposed widening internal divisions within the party, months after the leadership transition that followed the death of former chief Ajit Pawar.
Singh has alleged that the process through which Sunetra Pawar was elevated to the party's top post violated provisions of the NCP constitution. In the legal notice, dated July 9, he has demanded that the presidential election be conducted afresh, claiming that mandatory procedures, including proper notification to delegates and office-bearers, were not followed.
The challenge has reignited questions over the party's internal governance at a time when the NCP is attempting to strengthen its organisational structure ahead of future political battles.
Senior NCP leader Praful Patel, responding publicly to the controversy for the first time, distanced himself from the legal dispute and dismissed suggestions that his earlier remarks had encouraged the challenge. Patel asserted that Sunetra Pawar's appointment was made in accordance with the party's constitution and said the legal notice had no connection with him.
He clarified that his previous comments regarding the need for organisational reforms following Ajit Pawar's death reflected only his personal assessment of the party's future direction and should not be linked to the ongoing legal dispute.
Sunetra Pawar assumed the leadership of the NCP after Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash earlier this year. Her appointment was formally announced during the party's general council meeting on February 26, where senior leaders endorsed the leadership transition.
Sachchidanand Singh, who previously served as the NCP's Jharkhand state president and later as National Secretary, argues that the February leadership process failed to comply with constitutional requirements. He was excluded from the party's newly constituted national executive announced earlier this year.
The controversy has once again highlighted factional tensions within the NCP. Political observers believe the outcome of the legal challenge could influence the party's organisational stability and its strategy in Maharashtra, where internal unity remains crucial for future electoral contests.
While the party leadership continues to defend the legitimacy of Sunetra Pawar's appointment, the legal notice has opened a new chapter in the NCP's post-Ajit Pawar era, ensuring that questions over leadership and internal democracy remain firmly in the political spotlight.
