Mumbai, May 14: Sharad Pawar, the president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), stated on Thursday that while his former allies Prafull Patel and Sunil Tatkare are capable leaders, the current assessment of them by their party may differ.
Pawar remarked, “I do not wish to comment on the events occurring in another party. However, both Patel and Tatkare have worked alongside me for many years and have held various responsibilities. Therefore, I am well aware of their capabilities. It is possible that the party leadership’s evaluation of them differs.”
He made these comments in light of ongoing developments within the ruling NCP, where Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Sunetra Pawar has removed both leaders’ names from a letter sent to the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding the party’s national executive.
The removal of these two senior leaders is perceived as an attempt by Pawar and his son, Parth Pawar, to sideline them.
Following this, Tatkare met with Sharad Pawar, describing the meeting as non-political and stating that its purpose was merely to inquire about the health of the seasoned politician.
The NCP, already facing internal turmoil, experienced another setback when senior leader, former Lok Sabha MP, and spokesperson Anand Paranjape left the party. Reports suggest that Paranjape was interested in the Rajya Sabha seat that became vacant after Sunetra Pawar’s resignation, but he was reportedly sidelined within the party.
Since then, Paranjape has not contacted anyone, although close sources indicate he has been in touch with Shiv Sena MP and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s son, Shrikant Shinde.
Earlier, Pawar described the current situation in the country as serious and called for a meeting of all national leaders in the presence of the Prime Minister. He noted that although several all-party meetings have taken place over the past three to four years, the Prime Minister has not attended any of them.
He stated, “If the Prime Minister and Chief Minister claim that the situation is serious, then everyone should take it as seriously.”
Pawar further commented, “Since this morning, I have been watching on TV; some are riding motorcycles, while others are walking. One person even announced that since he is a minister, he has reduced his convoy from 17 cars to eight. I was surprised to learn that he initially had 17 cars, and even after reducing them, he still has eight.”
Discussing the conduct of political leaders, Pawar emphasized, “At this time, the Chief Minister and other ministers should use their language carefully. The words used by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding Rahul Gandhi were inappropriate. Rahul Gandhi is the leader of the opposition in Parliament. The leader of the opposition holds a constitutional position that represents the people. Therefore, using such language for someone in that position is wrong. I do not wish to comment further on this matter.”
Chief Minister Fadnavis had stated, “I am not sure how much Rahul Gandhi understands the Prime Minister’s words. We do not give much importance to his statements. Rahul Gandhi is a rejected leader. He is a thing of the past.”
Regarding the declining rupee and the global situation akin to war, Pawar said, “We should consider why the rupee is falling. The current issues with Iran certainly have an impact, but is that the only reason?”
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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