Mumbai, March 31 (IANS) Maharashtra NCP President and MP, Sunil Tatkare, on Tuesday said that it is the collective responsibility of all members to carry forward the party envisioned by “Dada” Ajit Pawar with the same strength.

Speaking to reporters here, Tatkare highlighted the hard work late Ajit Pawar put into showing the resolve to join the NDA. He noted that despite the Lok Sabha setbacks, Ajit Pawar’s leadership in the Assembly elections — taking all colleagues into confidence — resulted in a 72 per cent strike rate for the NCP.

“We are emotional following Dada’s passing; our hearts are heavy. I have shared a 35-year bond with him and have been a witness to many events. It is now our duty to take the NCP of Ajit Dada’s dreams forward under the leadership of Sunetra Vahini (Sunetra Pawar). We will do this with determination,” said Tatkare.

“Sunetra Pawar is our party president. All leaders will sit together and make decisions; there is no need for outsiders to worry,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the state party general secretary Suraj Chavan levelled a serious allegation against the NCP(SP) MLA, Rohit Pawar, alleging that his team has provided a Rs 5 crore package to a professional agency to defame the NCP under the leadership of Sunetra Pawar and create a rift within the party.

Speaking to the media, Chavan claimed that there has been a deliberate attempt over the past few days to tarnish the image of the NCP and its leaders.

He remarked that Rohit Pawar seems more focussed on their party than his own. “We have received information that Rohit Pawar has given a Rs 5 crore package to an agency to make false allegations against NCP leaders. Furthermore, some office-bearers have been put on a payroll specifically to speak against the NCP. As part of this conspiracy, misinformation regarding the party’s constitution was spread,” Chavan claimed.

He clarified that rumours suggesting the NCP had removed cells like OBC, Social Justice, and Minority from its frontal organisations are entirely false. “These cells were never a part of the frontal wing; they operate as independent cells. Since the party’s inception, there have been five main frontal wings: Women, Youth, Students, Seva Dal, and the Main Father Body. The SC, ST, OBC, Minority, and Kisan cells are included based on different provisions,” he explained.

Criticising Rohit Pawar’s team, Chavan advised him to focus on his own party’s MLAs, MPs, and organisational health instead of meddling in others’ affairs. He warned that any further attacks on the NCP would be met with a “befitting reply.”

Chavan further alleged that even before Ajit Dada’s final rites were performed, political manoeuvres were underway at the Vidya Pratishthan ground in Baramati to distance Dada’s family from the party. To counter the tactics of the opposing faction and ensure the NCP remained under the control of Ajit Dada’s family, the party leaders had to make certain constitutional changes. Chavan explained that the party constitution allows for the delegation of power to second-tier leaders during emergencies.

“Following Ajit Dada’s passing, these provisions were utilised to ensure the leadership remained with his family. The subsequent correspondence was also handled with that objective. Senior leaders and Sunetra Vahini will explain this more accurately, but if anyone in our party errs, Vahini has the full authority to penalise them. This is an internal matter. Instead of meddling in our party, others should focus on their own,” he said, issuing a direct warning to Rohit Pawar.

–IANS

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