Rohit Pawar Targets Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare Over ‘Party Takeover Plot

MLA Rohit Pawar has alleged that the death of Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar at Baramati airport was not an accident but a planned conspiracy. Since the incident, he has consistently raised doubts, claiming it was an act of sabotage.

He further alleged that senior leaders Praful Patel and state president Sunil Tatkare were obstacles to the unification of the two NCP factions. Rohit Pawar has repeatedly expressed his anger towards both leaders and has now levelled serious allegations against them.

According to him, after Pawar’s death, Patel and Tatkare intended to take control of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). He claimed there was a deliberate attempt to capture the party, sparking a major political controversy. It is also being reported that Sunil Tatkare will respond to these allegations in a press conference shortly.

Referring to documents that surfaced a few days ago, Rohit Pawar said the papers are dated March 10, 2025, and include an important statement by Sunetra Pawar. It stated that any communication with the Election Commission between January 28, 2025 (the date of Ajit Pawar’s accident), and the appointment of a national president should not be considered valid.

However, on February 26, a letter was reportedly submitted to the Election Commission on behalf of Ajit Pawar’s faction, bearing the signatures of Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare. The letter stated that the party constitution had been amended and that in the absence of a national president, all powers would rest with the National Working President. Rohit Pawar pointed out that Praful Patel was the National Working President at the time, effectively giving him full control over party decisions.
He added that once Sunetra Pawar became aware of this, she wrote to the Election Commission urging it not to consider any such communication until a national president was formally appointed.

Rohit Pawar also alleged that Sunil Tatkare, Praful Patel, and certain BJP leaders suppressed a planned press conference by Jay Pawar. He claimed that due to pressure, the press conference never took place, although he admitted he had not personally spoken to Jay Pawar about it.

He further alleged that efforts were being made to protect VSR Company, which, according to him, received Rs 80–90 crore even after the accident. Rohit Pawar also said that after meeting Rahul Gandhi, he was advised to file an FIR in a state where he could get justice. Following this, he said, a zero FIR was registered in Karnataka.

He also raised questions over Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s statement in which he had referred to Praful Patel as the party president, only to later say it was a mistake. Rohit Pawar termed the sequence of events “suspicious” and claimed that there was already a plan among certain leaders to hand over control of the party to Patel and Tatkare.

He further alleged that during a party session, leaders were instructed not to speak about Ajit Pawar’s accident, which is why only a few MLAs raised the issue in the House. He also questioned why
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