By Ashutosh Mishra: Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s face was missing from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) posters displayed at the venue of national executive meeting, scheduled to be held in Delhi on Wednesday.

The poster featured party president Sharad Pawar, along with working president Supriya Sule and Praful Patel – the working president for other states.

This comes following organisational changes in the NCP after Ajit Pawar, who is the nephew of Sharad Pawar, appealed that he be assigned a role in the NCP organisation.

WHAT SHARAD PAWAR SAID

Reacting to his nephew’s request, Sharad Pawar said such a decision cannot be taken by one person and key party leaders will sit to take a call on it.

“Key leaders, including him (Ajit), will sit together and they will take a decision on this. Today, everyone in the party has the sentiment to work in the party organisation and he (Ajit) reflected upon the same sentiment,” he said.

Notably, Sharad Pawar recently entrusted the responsibility of Maharashtra to his daughter and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule. He appointed her as a working president. Praful Patel is working president for other states.

On criticism from opponents that the NCP uses Other Backward Classes for namesake but does not give any party position to OBC leaders, Sharad Pawar said such comments show there is lack of knowledge over this point.

“The first state NCP chief was Chhagan Bhujbal. Who is he? After him, (Madhukarrao) Pichad was in that position. After him, Sunil Tatkare, who was he? See the list,” he said.