14 hours Ago
1 2 Pune: The Ajit Pawar-led NCP's city unit is expected to undergo some organisational changes, following the resignation of Deepak Mankar as its chief in the aftermath of a forgery case registered against him by the police. According to party members, seniors will have to make these changes at the earliest, considering that the civic polls are expected to be announced in a few months.Mankar's name appeared in an FIR registered by the Samarth police on Sunday related to a forgery case.
After police named him, Mankar submitted his resignation letter to NCP chief and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. In the letter, he denied all the charges against him and claimed that some people with vested interests are trying to tarnish his image due to his political success.Now, speculations have already begun over names of the new city president.
Among different possibilities, former Pune Mayor Datta Dhankawade and current city unit working president Pradeep Deshmukh are both in the fray. According to some members of NCP in Pune, the core committee of the party might also give the responsibility to the party's Hadapsar MLA, Chetan Tupe, in an effort to regroup the city unit ahead of the civic polls."Mankar's resignation has come when there is not much time in hand for preparations ahead of the civic polls," an office-bearer of NCP admitted to TOI, adding, "Ajit Pawar will have to make the necessary organisational changes in the coming few days, which will give more time to new office-bearers to prepare for the elections.
" Meanwhile, a section of Pune NCP has backed Mankar and demanded that his resignation be revoked. Former corporator and NCP member Baburao Chandere said, "Mankar has built a strong city unit after the split in the party, and many party members feel that he should continue to lead the unit, at least till the civic polls are over.".
