Senior NCP figures raise concerns with Amit Shah over party’s internal conduct

Six veteran leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on November 1 to voice their displeasure with the party’s current management under Sunetra Pawar and her son Parth Pawar. The delegation, consisting of Dhananjay Munde, Sunil Tatkare, Praful Patel, Hasan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil, was granted a private audience without the Pawars present. In the closed‑door talk, they said the party’s operations have become authoritarian, sidelining senior members from key decisions. Shah reportedly told them to reform their internal practices and restore collective leadership. The following evening, a three‑hour NCP core committee session at Sunetra Pawar’s residence saw the same leaders openly criticize the top‑down style and demand a more inclusive approach. The meeting will be followed by a gathering of all elected NCP legislators on November 3 to discuss the way forward. The dissent follows the death of senior leader Ajit Pawar in a helicopter crash earlier this year, after which Parth Pawar, a political newcomer, assumed a leading role, prompting resentment among seasoned politicians. Two of the six senior figures had recently called for an internal review after the party’s poor showing in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, where the rival NCP‑SP won two seats and the NCP won none. BJP sources said they do not intend to push for a merger of the two NCP factions but are wary of Parth Pawar’s approach. The NCP spokesperson dismissed media reports of a split as mischievous, noting that Sunetra Pawar had earlier informed Shah about the upcoming senior‑leaders’ meeting. ## Context The episode highlights how internal power struggles can surface publicly when senior members feel excluded, especially after a leadership change triggered by an unexpected death. Such disputes often lead to formal party meetings aimed at resetting the decision‑making process.