Pune: Pressure has been mounting on Sunetra Pawar to take some tough decisions regarding the state chief of NCP women’s wing Rupali Chakankar and cabinet minister Narhari Zirwal after they landed in controversies, as she completed a month as the party president on Thursday.Sunetra was unanimously elected the NCP president on Feb 26, almost a month after the death of then party chief Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on Jan 28. While handling the responsibility of the deputy chief minister in the state cabinet, political observers feel she will have to take some critical decisions to revive the party’s image in coming days.A chorus is growing within a section of NCP for action against partyfunctionaries like Chakankar after her name cropped up in Nashik-based astrologer Ashok Kharat case.Some office-bearers from Nashik, Ahilyanagar and other units have written to Sunetra for Chakankar’s removal as the state chief of NCP’s women wing.Prerana Balkawade, chief of Nashik NCP’s women wing, said, “NCP’s image is getting tarnished after Chakankar’s name was linked to the Kharat case. As party workers, we are finding it difficult to defend our own party and therefore, I have written to Sunetra Vahini to remove Chakankar from the party’s post.”The opposition is also demanding action against Chakankar.NCP’s cabinet minister Zirwal landed in a fresh controversy after his controversial video surfaced on socialmedia on Wednesday. He has been already facing the heat after one of the employees from his department was arrested by the anti-corruption bureau during a raid in Mantralaya. After the controversial video surfaced, the opposition demanded the chief minister to remove Zirwal from the cabinet.State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said, “The video of Zirwal is an example of moral turpitude. The chief minister should immediately ask Zirwal to resign as a minister.”According to political observers, these controversies have posed serious challenges to Sunetra before she could settle down as the NCP president. Political analyst Prakash Pawar said, “Sunetra got the responsibility to lead the party in an extraordinarysituation. There are more challenges than opportunities for her. This is the time for Sunetra to show her mettle and take some tough decisions to prove her leadership and gain the confidence of her party workers.“
