Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar convened an urgent second core committee meeting on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, at her official residence, Devgiri, as simmering tensions between the party's veteran leaders and younger leadership — particularly NCP MP Parth Pawar — threatened to spill into the open. The meeting follows a cascade of internal complaints, a delegation to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and a charged legislators' meeting on Tuesday.

Second Meeting in Three Days

The Wednesday core committee meeting is the second in as many days — the first took place on Monday, 2 November, convened after senior party leaders briefed the core committee about their meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Sunday. That delegation — comprising Rajya Sabha member Praful Patel, NCP state chief Sunil Tatkare, minister Hasan Mushrif, senior leaders Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil, Dhananjay Munde, and Bhujbal's nephew Sameer — had reportedly sought time to discuss both organisational matters and the allocation of cabinet portfolios pending with the NCP. Notably, the Pawar family was absent from the delegation.

According to sources privy to that Delhi meeting, Shah reportedly advised the leaders to 'pull up their socks', warning that the collapse of the NCP organisation was hurting the broader Mahayuti ruling alliance in Maharashtra. 'The problems within the NCP organisation are not harming them only, but being in Mahayuti, it is affecting the ruling alliance as a whole. If these issues are not resolved, then the alliance will face problems,' a source said.

What MLAs Said on Tuesday

The day before Wednesday's core committee meeting, all NCP MLAs assembled at Sunetra Pawar's official residence for a session that turned unusually frank. Party legislators Makarand Patil, Anil Bhaidas Patil, and Sangram Jagtap openly raised the issue of internal friction, arguing the party was visibly weakening due to a lack of united leadership. Anil Bhaidas Patil specifically demanded that the party mount a concerted effort to reclaim the Finance portfolio, which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took over after the death of Ajit Pawar and has since declined to return despite repeated NCP demands.

MLA Sunil Shelke was among a majority of legislators who complained that constituency works were being stalled or not approved under departments managed by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. MLA Saroj Ahire claimed she was being kept out of the loop by the BJP and the Nashik District administration during preparations for the Sinhasth Kumbh Mela. Another MLA, Hiraman Khosksar, warned that step-motherly treatment in fund allocation could directly hurt the NCP in the 2029 Assembly elections.

Minister Makarand Patil specifically cited the BJP's handling of the Satara Zilla Parishad polls — where the BJP allegedly bypassed the NCP and Shiv Sena — as evidence of the dominant partner weakening its allies. He noted that the NCP and Shiv Sena subsequently joined forces in the Satara District Central Cooperative Bank elections against the BJP.

The Parth Pawar Factor and Collective Leadership

At the heart of the turmoil, according to sources, is a perception among veterans that MP Parth Pawar — son of Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar — is operating unilaterally, sidelining senior leaders in key decisions. Both Patel and Tatkare have previously called for introspection following the NCP's defeat in the legislative council elections. Bhujbal is separately reported to be unhappy over the appointment of MLC Zeeshan Siddique as Mumbai NCP chief, a decision reportedly taken without informing him. Both Walse-Patil and Munde remain outside the state cabinet despite existing vacancies. Mushrif was asked to give up the Pune graduates' constituency seat to the BJP — a concession that his camp views as an indication of the party's diminishing clout.

'While the issue of lack of collective leadership within the party was discussed, it was told to them that the NCP leaders need to ensure smooth functioning of the party,' a party leader privy to the Delhi discussions said.

Party's Official Position

The NCP moved to publicly downplay the Delhi delegation's significance. 'It is highly unfortunate that unnecessary political colour is being given to the Wednesday meeting in Delhi between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and senior leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party, attempting to fabricate a narrative of internal party differences,' said Umesh Patil, National Spokesperson, NCP. Patil asserted that the meeting was pre-arranged after Sunetra Pawar had herself mentioned to Shah that a delegation would visit, and attributed adverse coverage to 'unseen forces' planting a manufactured narrative.

What Wednesday's Agenda Covers

Sources indicate the 4 November core committee meeting is set to address the deployment of ministers, legislators, and MPs to drought-hit districts across Maharashtra, and the activation of a party-strengthening programme — signalling an intent to shift focus from internal fire-fighting to ground-level consolidation. State President Sunil Tatkare had already instructed all MLAs on Tuesday to visit drought-affected areas and work toward securing government relief for farmers. Whether Wednesday's session will also formally address the question of collective leadership and cabinet portfolios remains to be seen, but the pressure from within the ranks is now firmly on record.