PUNE, 12 NOV. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar recently announced a new list of 17 spokespersons. This list caused a stir in political circles as it notably excluded staunch party loyalists and prominent defenders of Ajit Pawar, including MLC Amol Mitkari and Rupali Patil Thombare, while retaining the name of Rupali Chakankar, who serves as the State Women's Commission Chairperson.
Taking note of these key exclusions, Shiv Sena (UBT) Deputy Leader Sushma Andhare voiced a serious suspicion. She suggested that NCP working president Sunil Tatkare might be gradually "taking over" Ajit Pawar's faction of the party, calling the reshuffle an "alarm" for Ajit Pawar himself. Andhare expressed surprise that Mitkari and Patil Thombare, who consistently defended Ajit Pawar, were dropped from the list.
She further alleged that the inclusion of spokesperson Suraj Chavan supports her suspicion. Andhare claimed that Chavan often remains completely silent when Ajit Pawar faces harsh criticism from alliance partners, yet he is quick to fiercely defend Tatkare if anyone utters a word against him. She concluded that the pattern suggests that those who stand by Ajit Pawar are being sidelined, raising the question of whether Tatkare is slowly gaining control of the party apparatus.
Rupali Patil Thombare’s removal is being linked to her recent public spat with party colleague Rupali Chakankar. Following the suicide of a woman doctor in Phaltan, Patil Thombare had led a protest and openly accused Chakankar of character assassination. This led to Patil Thombare being served a show-cause notice by the party, and her subsequent exclusion from the spokesperson post is widely seen as the consequence of her public defiance against Chakankar.
