NCP spokesperson Umesh Patil explained that Sunetra Pawar had previously arranged the meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and senior state leaders to discuss administrative matters. The visiting delegation included prominent leaders such as Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Dilip Walse Patil, Hassan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Dhananjay Munde. Talks are proceeding alongside broader coalition tensions over the party's push to retain the finance portfolio formerly held by Ajit Pawar. The party also faces political headwinds after recently dropping the Aurangabad Graduates legislative council seat it held for 18 years.
Key points
Senior party officials strongly dismissed rift speculation and affirmed complete unity un…: Senior party officials strongly dismissed rift speculation and affirmed complete unity under Sunetra Pawar's Mahayuti leadership.
The high-level New Delhi delegation focused on state governance issues rather than intern…: The high-level New Delhi delegation focused on state governance issues rather than internal party disputes.
Coalition talks are unfolding amid political pressures following the loss of an 18-year l…: Coalition talks are unfolding amid political pressures following the loss of an 18-year legislative council seat.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
The NCP's defence came even as the absence of Sunetra Pawar during the meeting with Amit Shah.
NEW DELHI: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday sought to put speculation about an internal rift to rest, with party leaders dismissing reports of differences following a high-profile meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and a delegation of senior NCP leaders in New Delhi.The speculation was fuelled by the absence of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar and her sons, Parth and Jay, from Sunday's meeting with Shah. The development raised questions about whether the party's leadership was being sidelined in discussions over its future following the death of Ajit Pawar.NCP national chief spokesperson Umesh Patil rejected reports suggesting that Sunetra Pawar and Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar had been excluded from the Delhi discussions, describing the claims as "incorrect, baseless and misleading".Patil accused sections of the media of giving the meeting an unnecessary political angle and creating an impression that the party was divided."Attempts are being made to give an unnecessary political twist to the meeting and create a narrative…
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