City NCP president Ahirkarbattles demands for ouster

Nagpur: Even before the indelible ink on the voting finger faded, internal rumblings have started in the city unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
A major section of the city unit is veering round the view that city president Anil Ahirkar be removed from the post.
A series of meetings were held last week with party men led by NCP’s sole corporator Duneshwar Pethe voicing concerns over the wasted chance in the Lok Sabha elections in the city on April 11. They pointed out that not even a single polling booth was set up by the NCP here for the ally of the Congress which contested from the city.
“The election time provides best opportunity for a political party to make its presence felt. Though the NCP’s grass roots workers were eager to participate, Ahirkar was not effective enough to expand the party network and get the Congress party’s attention,” said Pethe who has asked the party high command to look for a more involved and dedicated person to head the city unit.
“Ahirkar is my friend, but then for me, party interest is supreme. If he is not found up to the mark, he should bow out by giving a chance to a more capable person,” said Pethe. There is an overwhelming feeling that Ahirkar, a businessman, is not giving necessary time and effort for party work.
When contacted, Ahirkar told TOI that the matter has been resolved amicably. “There were some misunderstandings that were addressed,” he said denying that he was asked to quit or that he has submitted his resignation from the party post.
Internal squabbles in recent past saw leaders like ex-MLA Ashok Dhawad and Ajay Patil being sacked from the city president’s post. Later, Dhawad joined the Congress and Patil is now with the BJP.
The NCP has always lived in the shadow of the Congress. Its performance has dipped in the last few years and the 2017 NMC elections saw only one win. But then the party has been trying to assert itself and even seeking to get a share of at least two of the six Assembly seats from ally Congress. For this the party will have to strengthen the organization.
Ex-minister and senior leader Anil Deshmukh has intervened to quell the internal turmoil in the city unit. He has declared that there will be no changes in the city unit till May 23 when parliamentary poll results are out.