NCP clarifies Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare retain posts; fresh ECI letter due
Synopsis
A missing designation in an ECI filing sparked leadership crisis rumours inside the NCP — but the party insists it was just a clerical error. With Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare publicly reaffirmed in their roles and a corrective letter to the poll panel imminent, the real test is whether the upcoming National Convention in Delhi settles the organisational uncertainty for good.
Key Takeaways
The NCP on 16 May 2025 confirmed that Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare retain their posts as national working president and Maharashtra state president , respectively.
Speculation arose after an ECI filing dated 29 April omitted their organisational designations, listing them only as parliamentary leaders.
Party leaders Avinash Adik and Umesh Patil called the omission a clerical error at a press conference in Mumbai .
A fresh communication to the ECI will be submitted shortly, formally reaffirming leadership roles and adding new organisational appointments.
A National Convention in Delhi will finalise the party's full organisational structure once internal elections are completed.
The Sunetra Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Saturday, 16 May moved to quash mounting speculation over its leadership structure, confirming that senior leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare continue to hold their positions as national working president and Maharashtra state president, respectively, with full authority. The clarification came at a press conference in Mumbai, where party leaders attributed the confusion to a clerical error in a recent filing with the Election Commission of India (ECI).
What Triggered the Speculation
The controversy traces back to a communication sent by Sunetra Pawar to the ECI on 29 April, which listed the party's newly constituted national executive. The names of Patel and Tatkare appeared in the newly formed national working committee, but only as NCP leader in Rajya Sabha and NCP leader in Lok Sabha, respectively. Their designations as national working president and Maharashtra state president were conspicuously absent, fuelling widespread reports of an internal reshuffle and possible sidelining of the two senior leaders.
Party's Official Position
NCP leaders Avinash Adik and Umesh Patil addressed the press conference and firmly denied any structural change at the top. Patil stated: 'Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare continue to hold their posts as before. The letter that reached the Election Commission had a clerical error, which led to unnecessary misinterpretation in the media.' He also dismissed reports that Patel and Tatkare had been denied entry to the party's Delhi office, saying the present arrangement remains unchanged.
Fresh ECI Communication Planned
The party confirmed that a fresh letter will be submitted to the ECI shortly. According to Patil, the updated communication will formally reaffirm the continuation of the senior leadership and also include details of additional internal organisational appointments that the party has already finalised. He emphasised that all existing state presidents and the national working president will continue in their roles until fresh internal elections are held for the expanded national executive committee.
National Convention and Roadmap Ahead
Patil said the national president will convene a National Convention in Delhi in the near future, at which the selection of top national-level office bearers and the appointment schedule for organisational positions will be finalised. He clarified that the correspondence with the ECI so far has been conducted purely for legal, administrative, and temporary procedural purposes, and that the national president retains the authority to amend such correspondence as required.
Leadership Continuity Reaffirmed
Noting the party's trajectory following the death of former leader Ajit Dada, Patil said the NCP is moving forward under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and National General Secretary MP Parth Dada Pawar, with National Working President MP Praful Patel providing guidance. The party high command, he asserted, remains unified and focused on its upcoming political strategy. All eyes are now on the scheduled National Convention, which is expected to formally settle the party's organisational structure.
Point of View
Even if the public face is one of unity. The National Convention in Delhi will be the true litmus test: if Patel and Tatkare's roles are formally codified there, the clerical-error narrative holds; if they are quietly diluted, the speculation will have been prescient.
NationPress
7 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did rumours emerge about Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare losing their NCP posts?
Rumours surfaced after an NCP communication to the ECI dated 29 April listed both leaders in the national working committee but mentioned only their parliamentary roles — NCP leader in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha — without citing their designations as national working president and Maharashtra state president. The omission was interpreted by many as a sign of an internal reshuffle.
What has the NCP officially said about their positions?
The NCP has categorically stated that Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare continue in their respective organisational roles with full authority. Party leaders Avinash Adik and Umesh Patil called the omission in the ECI filing a clerical error and said a corrective letter will be sent to the poll panel shortly.
When will the NCP send a fresh letter to the Election Commission?
The NCP has said the fresh communication to the ECI will be submitted shortly. The updated letter will reaffirm the continuation of senior leadership and formally include details of additional internal organisational appointments already finalised by the party.
What is the NCP's National Convention and when will it be held?
The NCP's National Convention is a meeting of key party leaders, to be convened by the national president in Delhi. The exact date has not been announced, but the party has said it will use the convention to finalise the selection of top national office bearers and the appointment schedule for organisational positions once internal elections are completed.
Is the NCP's leadership unified under Sunetra Pawar?
The party has publicly maintained that it is unified under Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and National General Secretary MP Parth Dada Pawar, with Praful Patel providing guidance as national working president. However, the episode has drawn attention to organisational tensions that the upcoming National Convention is expected to formally resolve.
