NCP Denies Rift After Leaders Meet Amit Shah Without Sunetra

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has denied reports of an internal leadership rift after a delegation of senior leaders met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi without Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and her son, Parth Pawar. The meeting, held late on Sunday, triggered speculation about differences within the party and the way it is being managed.

The NCP dismissed the reports on Monday, describing claims that Sunetra and Parth Pawar had been deliberately excluded as an attempt to create an artificial leadership crisis. The clarification comes amid questions about the party’s organisational structure following the death of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in an air crash in January.

Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and other NCP leaders meet Amit Shah

The NCP delegation that met Shah included national working president Praful Patel, Maharashtra unit chief Sunil Tatkare, senior ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, and senior leaders Dilip Walse Patil and Dhananjay Munde, among others.

The meeting took place more than a week after Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar had separately met the Union Home Minister in Delhi. The absence of the two leaders from Sunday’s interaction prompted speculation about possible disagreements within the party.

Some party insiders, speaking anonymously, claimed that a section of senior leaders was unhappy with the way the organisation was being managed by Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar. The leaders who attended the meeting with Shah had supported Ajit Pawar when he split the NCP in 2023.

According to party insiders, the group also met at Bhujbal’s official residence after returning to Mumbai on Monday evening. The leaders were then expected to attend a core committee meeting at Devgiri, the official residence of Sunetra Pawar.

NCP refutes claims that Sunetra and Parth Pawar were excluded

NCP spokesperson Umesh Patil rejected suggestions that the meeting reflected a leadership dispute. He said Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar had met Shah earlier to discuss issues facing the party after Ajit Pawar’s death.

Patil said Sunetra Pawar had personally informed the Home Minister during that earlier meeting that a delegation of senior NCP leaders would meet him. She had also requested him to make time for the interaction, he added.

According to the spokesperson, the delegation discussed matters concerning the leaders’ respective constituencies, along with informal issues and an exchange of views involving partners in the Mahayuti alliance.

The party also rejected the suggestion that Sunetra and Parth Pawar had been intentionally kept away from the meeting.

“The reports suggesting Sunetra and Parth Pawar had been deliberately kept out of the meeting were part of an attempt by unseen forces to create an artificial narrative of a leadership crisis,” the party said in a statement.

“This is nothing but deliberate mischief,” it added, without identifying who it believed was behind the claims.

Ajit Pawar’s death and questions over NCP leadership

The latest speculation comes as the NCP continues to adjust its leadership following the death of Ajit Pawar in an air crash in January. His death created a major transition for the party, which had been led by him after the 2023 split.

Sunetra Pawar subsequently took charge as the NCP national president and introduced a series of organisational and constitutional changes. These changes included the removal of Praful Patel from the post of national working president and Sunil Tatkare from the position of Maharashtra state president.

The changes have added to scrutiny of the party’s internal arrangements and the roles of its senior leaders. The latest meeting with Shah has brought those questions back into focus, particularly because several leaders who had backed Ajit Pawar during the 2023 split attended the interaction without Sunetra and Parth Pawar.

What the Amit Shah meeting means for the NCP

The meeting has exposed competing accounts of the party’s internal dynamics. Anonymous party insiders have suggested dissatisfaction with the current management, while the official party position is that the interaction was a routine discussion involving senior leaders and an alliance partner.

The NCP has maintained that Sunetra Pawar was aware of the delegation’s meeting with Shah and had helped arrange the interaction. Its spokesperson has described reports of deliberate exclusion as misleading.

Whether the episode reflects deeper disagreements or simply a separate meeting between senior leaders remains unclear. For now, the party has publicly rejected claims of a leadership crisis as it continues its organisational transition after Ajit Pawar’s death.