Maharashtra: Sule Says NCP(SP) Will Continue SC Battle
“Sharad Pawar is the founding member and sole president of the party": Supriya Sule
MUMBAI: NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction leader Supriya Sule on Friday indicated that her party would pursue its battle against the Ajit Pawar faction in the Supreme Court rather than enter into out-of-court negotiations. She asserted that her father, Sharad Pawar, was and remains the NCP’s supreme leader.
Her remarks came amid renewed speculation of a possible reunion between the two NCP factions following a nearly three-hour closed-door meeting between Ajit Pawar faction leader Parth Pawar and Sharad Pawar at the latter’s ‘Silver Oak’ residence in Mumbai on Wednesday night.
Parth Pawar arrived at around 8 p.m. and the meeting continued until nearly 11 p.m. No official reason was given for the meeting, but it has fuelled fresh speculation about a possible merger of the two factions.
Ms Sule said the organisational dispute over the NCP was still pending before the Supreme Court. “Sharad Pawar is the founding member and sole president of the party. As per the party constitution, the organisation decides the party leader; MPs and MLAs cannot decide that,” she said.
The Baramati MP said Sharad Pawar, 85, had personally attended every hearing before the Election Commission and that the faction led by him had now approached the Supreme Court. “We are demanding a hearing on our petition, but unfortunately, it has not taken place yet,” she said.
Ms Sule further said that while the Ajit Pawar faction had prevailed before the Election Commission, her faction would continue its legal and moral battle in the Supreme Court. “NCP is not anyone’s personal property. But the party was founded by Mr. Pawar. Nobody can take it from him. The name NCP(SP) is only the interim arrangement we have accepted. We will continue our fight against the injustice done to him. Once he gets his party back, he will decide who should get its charge,” she said.
Speculation about a rapprochement between the two factions has persisted for several months. It intensified recently after MPs from the Sharad Pawar-led faction met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, prompting talk of a possible alignment with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Parth Pawar’s meeting with Sharad Pawar has added further fuel to the speculation.
Ms Sule also criticised Maharashtra Congress leaders for what she described as their continuing distrust of the NCP. Responding to Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan’s advice against aligning with “Manuwadis”, she said, “We are in continuous dialogue with Congress leaders at the Centre, but Congress leaders in the state always put the NCP in the wrong box. It seems there is a communication gap between Congress leaders in Maharashtra and Delhi.”