NCP rift: National Secretary serves 15-day ultimatum to Sunetra Pawar
Synopsis
NCP's internal war has entered legal territory. National Secretary Sachchidanand Singh has now served a second 15-day ultimatum to Sunetra Ajit Pawar and two other senior leaders, calling the February 2026 party presidential election illegal — and threatening to take the fight to courts or the Election Commission if the leadership stays silent again.
Key Takeaways
Sachchidanand Singh , NCP National Secretary, issued a 15-day reminder legal notice on 17 August 2026 challenging the election of Sunetra Ajit Pawar as National President.
The notice, sent via ARS Associates , also names Praful Patel and Brijmohan Shrivastav as recipients.
Singh demands the 26 February 2026 presidential election be declared null, void, and non-est, and all related ECI communications recalled.
The leadership's silence on an earlier 9 July 2026 notice is described as an 'admission of illegality' by Singh's counsel.
Singh has been dropped from the reconstituted national executive and has challenged the party's reconstitution submitted to the ECI on 29 April 2026 .
If demands are unmet, Singh's legal team has threatened to approach judicial or regulatory forums, including the Election Commission of India .
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is facing a deepening internal crisis after Sachchidanand Singh, the party's National Secretary, issued a fresh 15-day reminder legal notice on 17 August 2026, directly challenging the election of Sunetra Ajit Pawar as National President. The notice, dispatched through legal firm ARS Associates, names three senior party functionaries and threatens judicial action if demands are not met.
Who Was Served and What the Notice Demands
The legal notice was addressed to Sunetra Ajit Pawar (National President), Praful Patel (National Working President), and Brijmohan Shrivastav (National General Secretary and Election Commission of India Nodal Officer). Singh's counsel, Ilesh Shukla, described the notice as a reminder to an earlier communication dated 9 July 2026 — one that, according to the document, the leadership never acknowledged or acted upon.
Singh has demanded that the party immediately recall all communications sent to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on 28 February, 10 March, and 29 April 2026. He has further called for the 26 February 2026 election of the National President and the resulting 'revised final list' of office-bearers to be declared null, void, and non-est.
The Legality Question at the Heart of the Dispute
According to the notice, the top leadership's failure to respond to the original July notice 'is liable to be construed as an admission of the illegality of the purported election,' as stated by counsel Shukla. Singh has also demanded the establishment of a properly empowered Central Election Authority and Returning Officer to conduct fresh, fair elections in line with the party constitution, with adequate notice to all National Delegates.
Additionally, he has sought certified copies of internal party documents and written confirmation of full compliance. Should the leadership fail to act within the 15-day window, Singh's legal team has warned of approaching 'appropriate judicial or regulatory forums' to nullify the election and hold the named leaders liable for all associated legal costs.
Singh's Standing Within the Party
Singh, who also serves as the NCP's Jharkhand state president, has been associated with the party for nearly 15 years. He was appointed National Secretary in December 2023 at a party meeting in Karjat, when the late Ajit Pawar was serving as National President. Notably, Singh was not part of the executive committee that convened on 26 February 2026 — the very meeting whose decisions he is now contesting.
Singh has since been dropped from the reconstituted national executive as National Secretary, a move he has formally challenged. The reconstituted national executive and national working committee were submitted to the ECI on 29 April 2026.
NCP's Official Silence
Shrivastav, who was himself dropped as National General Secretary during the reconstitution, confirmed receiving the letter. However, the NCP has remained tight-lipped on the matter, offering no public response. This comes amid a broader pattern of factional tension within the party following leadership transitions that have repeatedly drawn regulatory scrutiny from the ECI.
With the 15-day deadline now running, all eyes are on whether the Sunetra Pawar-led leadership will respond — or whether Singh will escalate to the courts or the Election Commission.
Point of View
The ECI cannot indefinitely ignore the paper trail. The February 2026 organisational election was always going to be contested; the real question is whether the Sunetra Pawar leadership can produce procedural documentation robust enough to withstand regulatory scrutiny. If it cannot, the NCP risks a repeat of the 2023 split — this time fought not on the streets but in tribunals and commission offices.
NationPress
20 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has Sachchidanand Singh issued a legal notice to Sunetra Ajit Pawar?
Singh has challenged the validity of the NCP's organisational election held on 26 February 2026, which resulted in Sunetra Ajit Pawar being elected as National President. He contends the election was conducted without proper procedure and that the leadership failed to respond to his earlier legal notice dated 9 July 2026.
What does the legal notice demand?
The notice demands that the party recall all communications sent to the Election Commission of India on 28 February, 10 March, and 29 April 2026; declare the February 2026 presidential election null and void; establish a new Central Election Authority to hold fresh elections; and provide certified copies of internal party documents — all within 15 days.
What happens if the NCP leadership does not respond within 15 days?
Singh's legal team has warned that if the demands are not met within the 15-day window, he will approach appropriate judicial or regulatory forums — including potentially the Election Commission of India — to nullify the election and seek legal remedies, holding the named leaders liable for all associated costs.
Who is Sachchidanand Singh and what is his standing in the NCP?
Singh is a nearly 15-year veteran of the NCP who serves as the party's Jharkhand state president. He was appointed National Secretary in December 2023 at a meeting in Karjat but was dropped from the reconstituted national executive — a move he has formally challenged.
Has the NCP responded to the legal notice?
As of the notice date of 17 August 2026, the NCP has remained tight-lipped. Brijmohan Shrivastav confirmed receiving the letter but the party has made no public statement, mirroring its silence on the original July 2026 notice.
