NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday sacked party's working president Praful Patel and Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare, who have sided with Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar in his rebellion, for engaging in "anti-party” activities.
The action comes a day after Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde-BJP government as deputy chief minister along with eight other NCP MLAs who were inducted as ministers.
Tatkare's daughter Aditi was among the ministers who took oath on Sunday.
Sharad Pawar, in a tweet, said, "I, as the National President, of Nationalist Congress Party hereby order the removal of the names of Shri Sunil Tatkare and Shri Praful Patel from the Register of Members of NCP Party for anti-party activities.” He tagged Patel, a Rajya Sabha MP who was appointed as NCP working president last month, and Tatkare in his tweet.
Addressing a press conference in western Maharashtra's Satara district, Sharad Pawar said he has launched a statewide tour to strengthen the NCP and boost the confidence of its workers, unfazed by actions of a few leaders.
On Sunday, Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the NCP to become deputy chief minister. Eight other NCP legislators, some of them considered very close to the party patriarch, were also sworn in as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-BJP government.
Asked whether Ajit Pawar's rebellion had his blessings, the NCP chief said, "It is a mean thing to say. Only those with a mean and low intellect can say this. I have set out on a tour of the state and galvanize the cadre. They should not feel disillusioned with what some leaders have done."
Separately addressing NCP workers and supporters at Karad in Satara district, the 82-year-old politician maintained there was a need to fight forces creating communal divide in Maharashtra and the country.
The former Union minister, who co-founded the NCP in 1999 after leaving the Congress, rued defections in his outfit, saying "some of our people fell prey to BJP's tactics to break other parties." "Attempts are being made to create communal divide in Maharashtra and the country. We need to fight forces that create fear among peace-loving citizens. We need to protect democracy in the country," he added.
(With PTI inputs)