Praful Patel elevated as NCP vice president

Former Union minister Praful Patel has been elevated as vice president of Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, a party statement said on Friday.

Pawar, 81, was re-elected as president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) at its national convention held at the Talkatora Stadium here on Sunday.

Pawar was then authorised to name the national office-bearers and working committee of the party.

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Patel, who was named as the party's national vice president, was earlier a general secretary of the NCP.

Lok Sabha members Sunil Tatkare and P P Mohammad Faizal, senior leaders Yoganand Shastri, K K Sharma, Narendra Verma and Jitendra Awhad have been appointed as national general secretaries of the party.

Clyde Crasto has been appointed national spokesperson of the NCP. He will also be the party observer and co-ordinator for Goa.

The party has asked all general secretaries to consult Patel on any major policy decisions and keep him informed of various activities on a regular basis.

Besides Pawar and Patel, the 12-member NCP working committee includes Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar, Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal, Fouzia Khan, P C Chacko, among others. The Working Committee also has 14 permanent invitees.

Pawar had founded the NCP in 1999 after he was expelled from the Congress for questioning the rise of Sonia Gandhi in the party citing her foreign origins.