Praful Patel Insists NCP Remains United Despite Sachchidanand Singh's Letter Controversy

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) national working president Praful Patel on Tuesday dismissed reports of internal discord, asserting that there is no rift within the party and that a letter challenging the election of party president Sunetra Pawar carries "no weight." His remarks came after NCP national secretary Sachchidanand Singh questioned the validity of Sunetra Pawar’s election and sought legal intervention. Singh recently issued a legal notice alleging that the election of Sunetra Pawar as NCP president on February 26 was conducted in violation of the party’s constitution.

The notice, sent through a Delhi-based law firm on July 9, claimed that the election process was unconstitutional and liable to be declared “null, void and non-est.” Responding to the controversy, Praful Patel told PTI that there was no internal conflict within the party and dismissed the significance of Singh’s objections. “There is no rift in the party. All senior party leaders meet with Sunetra Pawar to discuss political issues. The letter written by Sachchidanand Singh carries no weight. Any issue should be resolved amicably in the interest of the party,” Patel said.

The legal notice was addressed to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Sunetra Pawar, Praful Patel and party general secretary Brijmohan Shrivastav. It alleged that the party leadership failed to follow mandatory provisions of the NCP constitution while conducting the election and claimed that delegates and office-bearers were not given proper notice before the process was initiated. According to the notice, the alleged procedural lapses made the election legally invalid. Singh has argued that the leadership election did not comply with the organisational rules laid down in the party constitution and therefore should be set aside.

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Despite the legal challenge, Patel maintained that the party leadership remains united and continues to function normally. He said senior leaders regularly meet with Sunetra Pawar to deliberate on political matters and organisational issues, rejecting speculation that the notice reflected wider dissatisfaction within the NCP. The remarks also come a day after Patel spoke about the challenges facing the party following the demise of Ajit Pawar, describing it as a loss that created a difficult-to-fill vacuum. While emphasising the need for "corrective steps" to strengthen the organisation, he had also underlined the importance of maintaining unity within the party.

The latest dispute highlights procedural questions over the party’s internal elections but has not, according to the leadership, affected the functioning of the organisation. Whether the legal challenge progresses further will depend on the response of the concerned parties and any subsequent legal proceedings. For now, the NCP leadership has sought to project an image of cohesion, with Patel insisting that internal issues, if any, should be resolved amicably and in the larger interest of the party rather than through public disagreements or legal confrontations.

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