NCP appoints Patil Mumbai president

In the first of much-delayed changes in organisation structure, NCP appointed its sole MP from Mumbai, Sanjay Dina-Patil, to lead the party in the city in the 2014 election.

Dina-Patil was appointed president of the Mumbai unit for the next two years. He replaces Narendra Verma. An MP from Mumbai North-East, Dina-Patil's win had ensured a sweep for the Congress-NCP alliance in Mumbai in the 2009 Lok Sabha election.

The son of former MLA Dina Bama Patil had shocked political pundits by defeating former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya.

With a strong Gujarati and Maharashtrian pocket in this region, the seat was considered unsafe for Congress-NCP.

A vote split by Shishir Shinde of MNS saw Patil through with a thin margin of 2,933.

NCP has a state convention on October 20-21 when the party leadership is expected to strategise its campaign for the 2014 parliament and state assembly elections.

Members recently re-elected Sharad Pawar party president and inducted MP Supriya Sule's initiative of Rashtravadi Yuvati Congress as a formal organ.

RYC is aimed at enrolling participation of young women in politics and giving the party a boost as it implements 50 per cent reservation for women in local body elections in the state.

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