Mumbai/New Delhi: A group of senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi late on Sunday night, seeking his intervention over what they reportedly described as a “lack of collective leadership” in the party. The delegation did not include party president and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar or her son Parth Pawar, a Rajya Sabha MP, a fact that has raised eyebrows in political circles. By Monday, the party was insisting that all is well.

Who met Shah

According to the party, the delegation comprised Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Dilip Walse Patil, Hassan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde. Sunetra Pawar and her sons Parth and Jay were not present.

What was reportedly said

Accounts of the meeting come from unnamed sources, and details differ.

• The grievances. Sources say the senior leaders raised concerns about unilateral functioning and decision-making in the party, and about being sidelined in major decisions. Some reports say they pointed to the growing role of Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar. The NCP rejects this characterisation.
• Other business. Party leaders said they had also sought time to discuss organisational matters and the allocation of Maharashtra cabinet portfolios due to the NCP.
• Shah’s reported reply. According to an NCP leader familiar with the discussion, Shah was told of the lack of collective leadership but responded that the NCP’s leaders must ensure the party functions smoothly. The same person said the leaders were told that problems in the NCP’s organisation were not harming only them. This is the exchange that has been summarised in headlines as a “pull up your socks” message. The exact words have not been confirmed on the record.

The NCP’s response

The party moved quickly to deny any rift.

• A spokesperson’s account. NCP chief national spokesperson Umesh Patil called reports that Sunetra and Parth Pawar had been sidelined “incorrect, baseless and misleading.” He said that the two of them had met Shah earlier to discuss issues facing the party following the death of Ajit Pawar, and that Sunetra Pawar herself had told Shah that a delegation of senior leaders would meet him and had asked him to make time.
• Tatkare’s statement. Sunil Tatkare, MP and the party’s Maharashtra unit president, said it was unfortunate that political colour was being given to the meeting. He said the party works on a principle of collective leadership, there is no reason for dissatisfaction, and the issue of a merger with the NCP (SP) is closed.
• Unity under Sunetra Pawar. Party leaders said the NCP remains an important constituent of the Mahayuti alliance and will work collectively under her leadership. Patil suggested that “unseen forces” were planting reports to create an artificial narrative of discord.

What the party is doing next

A core committee meeting was held on Monday. Sunetra Pawar has also summoned all NCP legislators to a meeting at her official residence, Devagiri, at 7 pm on Tuesday. It will reportedly be the first comprehensive meeting of all the party’s legislators in four months, which some observers see as a signal that the leadership wants to demonstrate its control.

Why it matters

The NCP is a partner in the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra and was led by Ajit Pawar until his death. His wife, Sunetra Pawar, has taken over as party president and Deputy Chief Minister. A transition of this kind puts pressure on any party, with questions about authority, the role of the family and the voice of veteran leaders. At the same time, the party’s size and its role in the ruling alliance mean that any instability would have consequences for the coalition’s internal balance.

Two readings

The leadership’s version: The meeting with Shah was planned with Sunetra Pawar’s knowledge, the veterans are loyal, and talk of a split or a sidelining is a distraction from the party’s work.

The sceptics’ view: Observers point out that the delegation went without the party president, and that her call for a legislators’ meeting immediately afterwards looks like a response to a challenge. They also note the reported emphasis on collective leadership and cabinet portfolios as signs of unresolved questions about power-sharing.

Neither reading has been confirmed, and the party’s own statements and the unnamed-source accounts do not match on key points.

What to watch

• The outcome of Tuesday’s meeting of NCP legislators and who attends.

• Any public statement from Sunetra Pawar or Parth Pawar, and from Shah’s office.
• Decisions on the allocation of cabinet portfolios due to the NCP.
• Any shift in the relationship between the NCP and the BJP and Shiv Sena within the Mahayuti.
• Whether the merger speculation with the NCP (SP) resurfaces.

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