Plan by some leaders to take control of NCP after Ajit Pawar's death: Rohit Pawar

Mumbai: Nearly a month after then Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash in Baramati, his nephew and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday alleged a "premeditated plan" by certain leaders to wrest control of the NCP — a statement that is being seen as the first attack on Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare.

The NCP leadership, however, has not yet responded to the allegations made by Rohit Pawar, the grand-nephew of NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar and nephew of NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule, who is the Baramati MP.

"Within just 18 days of Ajit Pawar's death, (NCP national working president) Praful Patel, (NCP Maharashtra unit president) Sunil Tatkare and (NCP national secretary) Brijmohan Srivastava wrote to the Election Commission on February 16 claiming falsely that the party constitution had been amended and sought all powers be handed to the working president, who was Praful Patel," Rohit Pawar alleged.

However, he added, Ajit Pawar’s wife and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar subsequently wrote to the Election Commission asking it to disregard any such correspondence during the transition period.

Ajit Pawar died when a Learjet crashed while landing at the Baramati airfield on January 28. Within three days, Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar (62) was elected NCP legislature party leader and sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister by the then Governor Acharya Devvrat on January 31.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis allotted the State Excise Duty, Sports and Youth Affairs, Minorities Development and Aukaf ministries to her, but kept Finance and Planning with himself in view of the impending State Budget 2026-27. On February 10, she formally took charge in Mantralaya. On February 26, she was unanimously elected as the NCP national president.

"Neither Sunetra Pawar nor (her elder son) Parth Pawar was taken into confidence. After becoming national president, Sunetra Pawar appeared to have learnt of this and wrote to the ECI requesting that any correspondence between January 28 and her assuming charge should not be considered," he claimed.

The MLA cited documents dated March 10 and February 26, purportedly submitted to the ECI with signatures of Patel and Tatkare, which, he alleged, stated that in the absence of a national president, all authority would vest in the national working president and all decisions would be taken by him.

"The letter effectively concentrated all powers with the working president," he claimed, adding that Sunetra Pawar later wrote to the ECI saying that any such interim correspondence should be ignored until she formally took over as national president.

Rohit Pawar also termed as "suspicious" the statements by Union Industries and Commencer Minister and BJP leader Piyush Goyal, asserting that Praful Patel had become party president and later saying it was based on incorrect information.

“There has been a premeditated plan among certain leaders to wrest control of the NCP,” he said and alleged that some NCP leaders exerted pressure to stall a proposed press conference by (Ajit Pawar's younger son) Jay Pawar,” he alleged.

Rohit Pawar also alleged that instructions were issued not to raise the issue of Ajit Pawar's accident during the legislature session, resulting in most MLAs remaining silent, however, he did not name anyone.