Mumbai, May 20 (IANS) The NCP (Ajit Pawar) on Wednesday strongly refuted media reports claiming that 22 party legislators are in touch with NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar, calling the reports false and misleading.

Party spokesperson Umesh Patil told reporters that not a single MLA is in touch with Sharad Pawar’s party, nor has any MLA met him with political motives.

Patil also pointed out that last week, State President and MP Sunil Tatkare paid a courtesy visit to Sharad Pawar solely to inquire about his health, a fact Tatkare himself immediately clarified to the media after the meeting.

Following today’s televised reports suggesting that 22 NCP MLAs were planning to shift to the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction, Patil, along with MLAs Sanjay Bansode and Pratap Patil Chikhalikar, presented the party’s stance, reiterating that the party is united under the leadership of party president and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

“Running news stories about ruling party MLAs jumping ship to the opposition without any concrete evidence is highly improper,” Patil stated. He questioned whether the media channels had any proof that 22 MLAs had met Sharad Pawar.

He said the official press conference had been called precisely to clear the air and ensure that no misunderstandings arose among party MLAs from these recurring rumours.

Patil further added that the NCP operates on democratic values.

“In the NCP, everyone has the freedom to express their views and meet anyone they wish. There are no restrictions on our MLAs regarding who they meet or where they go. However, a section of the media is deliberately trying to peddle a fake narrative,” he alleged.

Highlighting the party’s growing strength, Patil also mentioned recent political inductions.

“Today, Prabodh Davkhare, son of veteran party leader late Vasant Davkhare, officially joined the NCP. Many more workers, office-bearers, and leaders from various political parties are eager to join our ranks,” he noted.

Patil issued a strong appeal to the media fraternity, urging them not to create confusion among the public by broadcasting rumours and unverified news. He also emphasised the need to telecast reports responsibly only after thorough fact-checking.

Meanwhile, Patil said the party has not yet submitted a fresh letter to the Election Commission of India to correct the clerical mistake that omitted senior party leaders, including Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Dilip Walse Patil, from the national executive. He also referred to the lack of mention of Praful Patel’s designation as national working president and Sunil Tatkare’s designation as Maharashtra unit president.

Patil had clarified on Saturday that both Patel and Tatkare continue to hold their respective posts as national working president and state unit chief.

–IANS

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