City NCP chief Ahirkar resigns?
   Date :08-Jul-2019

 
By Vikas Vaidya:
 
Volunteers, youth and women leaders are not happy with the functioning of Anil Ahirkar 
 
Amidst feeling of unhappiness among the workers of city unit of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), finally, Anil Ahirkar, President of NCP city unit, has resigned from his post, disclosed highly placed sources. Ahirkar, currently, is out of India and will be back on July 10. The source, a stalwart leader has also made it clear, the resignation has not been accepted yet. Like Congress, NCP also is experiencing not-so enthusiastic atmosphere. But unlike Rahul Gandhi, NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar has started convening meetings after meetings of various party units to investigate the reasons of the party’s defeat in Lok Sabha polls, find solution and move ahead to face forthcoming assembly elections. The same is being reflecting in Nagpur also but without much enthusiasm at city unit-level because of so-called inactive President. Sources said, “Before leaving for personal tour, Ahirkar has put in his papers.
 
But Party leadership has not taken any decision yet.” Anil Deshmukh, NCP stalwart in Vidarbha, denied such development but admitted that there were some issues regarding Ahirkar. He also made it clear, the issues were not very serious. “Otherwise also the term of Ahirkar is officially ending so we have to search for a new face for the City Unit head.
 
At present, Ahirkar has gone out of town and the process of appointment will be completed once he is back,” Anil Deshmukh told ‘The Hitavada’. Recently, Duneshwar Pethe, the party’s lone corporator and some others have lodged a complaint with party’s State President Jayant Patil against the lethargy being experienced in the city unit but nobody has taken cognisance of it as if party is least bothered about Nagpur. The complaints against Ahirkar were regarding his long absence in the party office. It is not only Pethe, who alone has a lodged complaint against him, but women unit, youth wing all are unhappy with the kind of functioning of Ahirkar.
 
The main issue about Ahirkar is he does not visit party office except on Saturday that too for not more than three hours. Everything is not all well the way Deshmukh indicates. There are two groups of NCP are operating in city-- one belong to Anil Deshmukh and other is loyal to ex-Minister Ramesh Bang. But Bang is mostly active in rural area. NCP has recently focussed on rural part of Maharashtra. Because of his recommendation, Shyam Mandpe, corporator of Wadi Municipal Council was appointed as Youth Unit head of rural sector. But he is not that active. When new State NCP Youth head Mehboob Sheikh had come to Nagpur when NCP had organised a morcha of unemployed youth, Mandpe could bring only five persons along.
 
A leader said, “There is a feud in our parent body as Ahirkar who is businessman not giving justice to his post and most of the people are demanding his removal. There are chances that Ahirkar would be replaced by some other leader. We organise so many agitations but we don’t get support, encouragement from him. Even the number of agitations too have been reduced. Ahirkar went out of India and handed the charge to very senior leader Pyarudding Qazi.” Pravin Kunte had a charge of Executive President of Nagpur unit and he had done his job well. He refused to make any comment on the recent development.
 
He said, “I have been given the other responsibilities which I am doing in a proper way.” Shailendra Tiwari, a fiery NCP Youth leader is working with much enthusiasm. He said, “We are doing our work with full zeal. Who is President and who is not that does not make any difference. When our Party Supremo is working day in and day out we also are trying to give 100 per cent result.” NCP is running a campaign of inviting applications from the people interested to contest election. Unfortunately, at this crucial time Ahirkar has gone out of India, because of which party office wore a deserted look. Picture will be clear after July 10.