Difficult to fill vacuum left by Ajitdada, asserts Praful Patel; says NCP must take corrective steps

Mumbai, Jul 13 (PTI) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) national working president and Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel on Monday said it is difficult to fill the vacuum created by the demise of stalwart Ajit Pawar and stressed the party must take "corrective steps" to remain relevant in Maharashtra and national politics. Patel's remarks come amid speculation over the party's organisational future following then deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash on January 28 this year. Patel acknowledged the challenge before the party as it seeks to reorganise its leadership and strengthen its organisational structure. "It is difficult to fill the vacuum left by Ajitdada. I personally feel that the party needs to undertake some corrective steps," Patel said without elaborating. While Sunetra Pawar has taken over as the NCP's national president, Parth Pawar has assumed a larger organisational role, as per party sources. The developments have reportedly led to differences between some senior leaders and the new leadership. The party, however, has not officially commented on such claims. The internal discussions gained attention after the party submitted a revised list of national office-bearers and executive committee members to the Election Commission of India. The names of Praful Patel and state president Sunil Tatkare were reportedly either omitted or shown without their official designations, which the party later attributed to a typographical error. However, there has been no official statement regarding the letter and how it was drafted, which sparked the controversy. Sources in the party said some senior leaders were concerned about the concentration of organisational authority and the future process for distributing election tickets and allocating party resources. They also claimed the NCP would need to safeguard its political space within the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the absence of Ajit Pawar's leadership. The Mahayuti alliance comprises the BJP, Shiv Sena besides the NCP. A senior minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the remaining leadership would have to demonstrate that the party continued to command significant support in western Maharashtra and Marathwada to maintain its position within the alliance. Party leaders said the immediate priority was to reassure workers that Ajit Pawar's developmental agenda would continue. They added that the coming weeks would be crucial in determining whether the party could successfully transition to a collective leadership model. PTI ND BNM