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NCP dismisses notice challenging Sunetra Pawar’s election as party president NEW DELHI: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare on Tuesday dismissed a notice issued by the party’s national secretary Sachchidanand questioning the election of Sunetra Pawar as the party’s national president, while asserting that there was no rift within the organisation.The leaders said the election was held in accordance with the party constitution and that the notice carried no legal or organisational significance.The controversy comes after Sachchidanand, through a Delhi-based law firm, issued a notice on July 9 alleging that Sunetra Pawar’s election as NCP president on February 26 was unconstitutional and should be declared null and void.Reacting to the notice, Praful Patel told PTI, “There is no rift in the party. All senior party leaders meet with Sunetra Pawar to discuss political issues. The letter written by Sachchidanand carries no weight. Any issue should be resolved amicably in the interest of the party.”NCP Maharashtra president Sunil Tatkare termed the notice ‘illegal’ and said the party would first examine its legal validity.”The election was completely valid,” Tatkare told reporters. He added that the meeting of the national executive to elect the president and working president was conducted strictly in accordance with the party constitution.He said the party’s core committee would meet shortly, seek legal advice on the notice and then decide its response.On whether the party had contacted Sachchidanand or was considering disciplinary action against him, Tatkare said he had not spoken to the national secretary and was unaware whether anyone from the party’s Delhi unit had done so.”We will first examine the legal validity of the notice. In my view, there is absolutely no substance in it. The entire process followed by the party was in accordance with its constitution and rules,” he said.Tatkare said the party’s core committee would decide whether Sachchidanand’s letter amounted to indiscipline.Responding to questions about internal party documents repeatedly surfacing in the public domain, Tatkare said the NCP remained united under Sunetra Pawar’s leadership.”Today, the party is united under the leadership of Sunetra Pawar. It is working across the state and the country in an organised manner.””Just because one person writes a letter, it does not mean there is discontent in the party. Ours is a democratic organisation where individuals can express their views, but the party moves forward according to its collective decisions,” he added.When asked why the notice specifically questioned Sunetra Pawar’s election, Tatkare pointed out that notices had also been issued to Praful Patel and declined to speculate on the motives behind targeting particular leaders.In the notice, Sachchidanand claimed that after the death of then NCP president Ajit Pawar in an air crash on January 28, the party had informed the Election Commission that Praful Patel would serve as acting national president until a new chief was elected.However, he alleged that general secretary Brijmohan Shrivastav convened the national convention and initiated the election process without constitutional authority.According to the notice, no duly constituted central election authority, returning officer or election schedule was put in place and delegates were denied an opportunity to nominate candidates, contest or vote.Sachchidanand also demanded that the party withdraw letters sent to the Election Commission on February 28, March 10 and April 29 informing it about the election and office-bearers, and sought fresh organisational elections under an independent election authority.The notice also referred to the revised list of national office-bearers submitted to the Election Commission, in which the names of Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare were reportedly either omitted or shown without their official designations. The party had earlier described this as a typographical error.Meanwhile, Tatkare said the party’s core group would seek a meeting with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the finance portfolio, which was held by the late Ajit Pawar before his death and is currently with the chief minister.He also announced that the NCP would organise a week-long programme from July 22 to mark Ajit Pawar’s birth anniversary.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSupreme Court Refuses Stay In Bhojshala Case, Allows Alternate Namaz Site Till Final VerdictOp Vijay: How India Captured Tololing And Point 5140 Before Tiger HillAssam’s Tinsukia Uses CCTV And LED Screens To Shame Alleged Public Urinators’Brazenly Violated Our Order’: Supreme Court Imposes ₹3 Lakh Fine On Comedian Samay RainaCalls For Wangchuk To Call Off Hunger Strike Grow: Politicians, Actors, Even Dipke Issue Appeals₹198 Crore, 8 Criminal Cases: What Prashant Kishor’s Bankipur Bypoll Affidavit RevealsIron Rods Hurled, Car Windows Smashed As Family Chased For 15 Km After Harassment RowViral Video Claims Pensioner’s Bank Account Showed Rs 759 Crore, Raises Questions Over GlitchAssam Pushback Policy: Govt Reveals First Official Data On Repatriation To BangladeshJ&K Court Seeks Records In Rs 550 Crore Alleged Fake Silver Offerings Case At Vaishno Devi Shrine123PhotostoriesThink you know cows? 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Broad, wholesome, charitable views…” – why travel is the best cure Govt releases first services production index; 14 of 19 sub-sectors post double-digit growth Central expert panel approves environmental clearance for 1,000 MW Naying hydro-power project of Arunachal Pradesh NEW DELHI: An expert panel of the Union environment ministry has recommended green clearance to the 1,000 MW Naying hydro-electric project, paving the way for other statutory clearances and construction of this run-of-the-river project across the Siyom River in Siang and Shi-Yomi districts, close to the India-China border, in Arunachal Pradesh.Environmental clearance (EC) of the project was pending for a long time. It will be constructed at an estimated cost of more than Rs 11,835 crore in an area of over 470 hectares by the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation, giving a major boost to renewable energy in the region.The EC was approved for the project by an expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the ministry with certain mandatory environmental conditions in its 57th meeting on June 29-30.Though a total of 12 villages will be affected due to acquisition of land for various components of the proposed project, the panel accepted the detailed plan of the project proponent for relief and rehabilitation of the displaced families.“Land acquired for the project shall be suitably compensated in accordance with the prevailing guidelines of the state govt and provisions under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013,” said the panel in its conditional approval.After getting EC, the project proponent will now obtain forest clearance under the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1986, in case of the diversion of forest land for non-forest purpose and clearance from the National Board for Wildlife, if applicable.The minutes of the meeting, released on Monday, however, claimed that no project component falls in any notified protected area. “There are no national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, Tiger/Elephant Reserves, Wildlife corridors etc. within 10 km distance from the project site,” it said.Compensatory afforestation, wildlife conservation, air quality monitoring/ preservation; noise monitoring/ prevention; waste management; and risk mitigation and disaster management are among the other conditions attached to the EC. “The project authorities must strictly adhere to the stipulations made by the State Pollution Control Board and the state govt,” said the minutes of the meeting.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorVishwa MohanVishwa Mohan is Senior Editor at The Times of India. He writes on environment, climate change, agriculture, water resources and clean energy, tracking policy issues and climate diplomacy. He has been covering Parliament since 2003 to see how politics shaped up domestic policy and India’s position at global platform. Before switching over to explore sustainable development issues, Vishwa had covered internal security and investigative agencies for more than a decade.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosOp Vijay: How India Captured Tololing And Point 5140 Before Tiger HillAssam’s Tinsukia Uses CCTV And LED Screens To Shame Alleged Public Urinators’Brazenly Violated Our Order’: Supreme Court Imposes ₹3 Lakh Fine On Comedian Samay RainaCalls For Wangchuk To Call Off Hunger Strike Grow: Politicians, Actors, Even Dipke Issue Appeals₹198 Crore, 8 Criminal Cases: What Prashant Kishor’s Bankipur Bypoll Affidavit RevealsIron Rods Hurled, Car Windows Smashed As Family Chased For 15 Km After Harassment RowViral Video Claims Pensioner’s Bank Account Showed Rs 759 Crore, Raises Questions Over GlitchAssam Pushback Policy: Govt Reveals First Official Data On Repatriation To BangladeshJ&K Court Seeks Records In Rs 550 Crore Alleged Fake Silver Offerings Case At Vaishno Devi ShrineIndia Summons Iran’s Deputy Ambassador After Hormuz Tanker Strike Kills Indian Crew Member123Photostories8 ways to stop overthinking before it steals your peace of mindAlia Bhatt serves gothic glam in an all-black look as she joins Sohum Shah for ‘Tumbbad 2’Your kidneys could be losing function for years before creatinine rises; Doctor explains the silent damage most people never notice10 literary baby names inspired by Shakespeare’s timeless playsAvoiding sweets but blood sugar still rising? 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NEW DELHI: The West Bengal government on Tuesday withdrew its appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta high court’s May 2024 judgment that struck down the inclusion of 77 communities, including 75 Muslim communities, in the state’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) list.The Supreme Court allowed the withdrawal after the state informed the court that the West Bengal Cabinet had decided not to pursue the appeal.A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana permitted the withdrawal after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, informed the court of the Cabinet’s decision.The appeal had originally been filed by the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government. The withdrawal comes after the BJP assumed power in West Bengal following the 2026 Assembly elections.The West Bengal Backward Classes Commission also withdrew its separate appeal against the high court’s judgment.Senior advocate Shadan Farasat, appearing for some affected persons, sought liberty to pursue separate special leave petitions (SLPs).While allowing the withdrawals, the Supreme Court clarified that its order would not prevent any other aggrieved party from challenging the Calcutta high court judgment.On November 6, 2025, the apex court had directed that no further proceedings be held before the Calcutta high court in the matter while hearing multiple petitions challenging the verdict.In May 2024, the Calcutta high court struck down the inclusion of 77 communities in the state’s OBC list, holding that the reservation granted to them was legally unsustainable. Of the 77 communities, 75 were Muslim communities. The court observed that religion appeared to have been the sole criterion for granting OBC status and found legal infirmities in the identification process.The high court had quashed OBC status granted to 77 communities between April and September 2010. It had also struck down the inclusion of 37 additional classes under the West Bengal Backward Classes (Other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012.With the withdrawal of the state’s appeal, the challenge to the high court judgment will now continue only if pursued by other affected parties before the Supreme Court.Recently, the BJP-led West Bengal government discontinued religion-based categorisation under the earlier OBC framework and passed two Bills to restructure the state’s reservation policy in line with the high court’s judgment.Under the revised framework, the state retained only the 66 communities recognised through surveys conducted before 2010 and removed the 77 communities whose inclusion had been invalidated by the high court. It also reduced OBC reservation in government services and posts from 17% to 7% and restored the statutory role of the Backward Classes Commission in conducting surveys, examining applications for inclusion or exclusion of communities, and making recommendations to the state government.The government also regularised the 66 pre-2010 OBC communities, making them eligible for the revised 7% reservation quota in government jobs and services. The list includes communities such as Kapali, Kurmi, Karmakar, Sutradhar, Swarnakar, Napit, Tanti, Dhanuk, Kasai, Devanga and Goala, along with three Muslim communities: Paharia, Hajjam and Chowduli.(with inputs from PTI)Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosAssam’s Tinsukia Uses CCTV And LED Screens To Shame Alleged Public Urinators’Brazenly Violated Our Order’: Supreme Court Imposes ₹3 Lakh Fine On Comedian Samay RainaCalls For Wangchuk To Call Off Hunger Strike Grow: Politicians, Actors, Even Dipke Issue Appeals₹198 Crore, 8 Criminal Cases: What Prashant Kishor’s Bankipur Bypoll Affidavit RevealsIron Rods Hurled, Car Windows Smashed As Family Chased For 15 Km After Harassment RowViral Video Claims Pensioner’s Bank Account Showed Rs 759 Crore, Raises Questions Over GlitchAssam Pushback Policy: Govt Reveals First Official Data On Repatriation To BangladeshJ&K Court Seeks Records In Rs 550 Crore Alleged Fake Silver Offerings Case At Vaishno Devi ShrineIndia Summons Iran’s Deputy Ambassador After Hormuz Tanker Strike Kills Indian Crew MemberPahalgam Attack: Jammu Court Issues Non-Bailable Warrant Against Hafiz Saeed | Watch123Photostories10 literary baby names inspired by Shakespeare’s timeless playsAvoiding sweets but blood sugar still rising? 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