NCP leaders meet in Mumbai; Tatkare says no discontent, Delhi meeting was pre-planned

An important meeting of Nationalist Congress Party leaders was held in Mumbai today. Party state president and MP Sunil Tatkare briefed the media on what was discussed. According to Tatkare, there is no discontent anywhere in the party, and the Delhi meeting had been fixed beforehand.

Tatkare said senior party leaders who have been elected three to five times met national president and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar today. He said the meeting was about the party's role in the coming period and about expanding the party.

The meeting of the party's core committee was held today. Present were MP Parth Pawar, party chief Sunetra Pawar, Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Dhananjay Munde, Dilip Walse Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal. Sources had said the discussion with Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also to come up at today's meeting.

Tatkare said he has called a meeting of all the MLAs tomorrow as well. According to him, meetings to gather the MLAs' views were held earlier too, both during Ajit Dada's time and before him. Tatkare said party leaders were busy with work in the interim, so these meetings could not be held. He also said there is no issue of any appointment or discontent.

On the question of a merger, Tatkare said the discussion on it has already died down.

On Pawar Saheb's health, Tatkare said he has been in politics for six decades and has recovered from a major illness before. According to Tatkare, he had begun his tours after the drought conditions. Tatkare said he learnt only recently that he had been admitted to hospital. Given his work for the public and his attachment to the people, Tatkare said it is also the party's wish that he recovers soon.

Meanwhile, party national spokesperson Umesh Pawar commented on today's meeting in Delhi between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and senior NCP leaders. Umesh Pawar said it was highly unfortunate that attempts were being made to give the meeting a needless political colour and to concoct a story of differences within the party.

According to Umesh Pawar, Sunetra Pawar herself had earlier informed Amit Shah that a delegation of senior party leaders would be calling on him, and had requested him to give time for it. On this basis, Umesh Pawar made clear that the meeting of the NCP's senior leaders took place on Sunetra Pawar's instructions.