Ajit Pawar's Missing Photo From NCP Event Poster Triggers Political Row

Last Updated:March 30, 2026, 16:12 IST

Ajit Pawar poster omission at NCP Raigad event sparks row as Rohit Pawar targets Sunil Tatkare while Aditi Tatkare apologises and NCP leaders call it crocodile tears.

The absence of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s photograph from a poster at a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) event has triggered a political row. During a felicitation ceremony for newly elected Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti members in Raigad, a banner displayed images of Sunil Tatkare, his daughter and minister Aditi Tatkare, and her brother Aniket Tatkare. However, Ajit Pawar’s image was missing from the poster.

Sharing an image of the banner, two MLAs from the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) flagged the omission, alleging that Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel were attempting to gain control of the party.

“When the landlord quietly transfers the 7/12 of the tenants’ land into his own name on the sly, this is a living example. The very thing we’ve been talking about repeatedly," said Rohit Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s nephew and an MLA from the NCP (SP) faction.

Aditi Tatkare Expresses Regret; Party Calls Row ‘Unnecessary’

Responding to the criticism, NCP leader and minister Aditi Tatkare issued an apology, stating that such events are usually organised at the local level by party workers.

“I express my regret. Whether it is Ajitdada or Sunetrakaki, their place in our hearts is unshakable. One should not judge the loyalty of all of us workers based on the photo on the banner," she said in a post on X.

She further added, “Nevertheless, one good thing came out of this—we have now realized how the mechanism works that turns a single mistake at the local level in a local program into an issue. God only knows how much remorse those who relish chewing on this issue must feel in their hearts for the criticism they leveled against Dada when he was alive..! Otherwise, Kaki, as the head of the party family, certainly has the right to grab us by the ears for our mistake."

Meanwhile, other NCP leaders dismissed the controversy as overblown, terming the allegations as “crocodile tears". They also suggested that Rohit Pawar should focus on managing affairs within his own faction rather than targeting party colleagues.

News politics Ajit Pawar's Missing Photo From NCP Event Poster Triggers Political Row

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