However, some NCP seniors maintained that they were unaware of several recent decisions “influenced by Parth”. Pune: NCP Rajya Sabha member Parth Pawar Wednesday dismissed claims of any discord within the party, asserting that all senior members are respected and consulted while taking decisions.
In an exclusive interaction with TOI , Parth said there was no substance to speculations that decisions within NCP were being solely taken by him without taking party seniors into confidence. They raised concerns over recent appointments in the party, according to some members who attended the meeting at her house. Speaking to TOI after the meeting, an NCP core committee member said despite some party seniors expressing disappointment over the recent appointments, Parth was reluctant to revoke them. “Parth said while these appointments would remain in place, future decisions would be taken after consulting the NCP core committee members,” a senior party functionary, who attended the meeting, said. Reacting to the appointments, Chhagan Bhujbal had last week said he was unaware and learnt about them through media reports. In reaction to Bhujbal’s comment, Patil said, “It is possible that he (Bhujbal) could not be contacted before the appointments were finalised, which is why he was not informed. Such initiatives will help the party improve its grassroots connect,” the core committee member told TOI .
This is the first time Parth has spoken to the media after a group of senior NCP leaders complained about his style of functioning. Some of them had also met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi without Sunetra or him. Besides Sunetra and Parth, the meeting was attended by NCP state president Sunil Tatkare, working president Praful Patel, ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, former ministers Dilip Walse Patil and Dhananjay Munde and MLA Sameer Bhujbal, among others. NCP recently appointed MLC Zeeshan Siddique the party’s Mumbai unit chief and Umesh Patil its national chief spokesperson. Some members objected to these appointments. “Our ministers will be assigned specific areas to visit and review the drought situation. They will connect with common people and raise their concerns with the local administration.
Parth’s reaction came a few hours after the NCP core committee meeting chaired by party chief and his mother Sunetra Pawar in Mumbai on Wednesday.