He claimed that Patel, along with NCP State President Sunil Tatkare, wrote to the Election Commission on February 16, 2026, declaring himself the authority in the absence of Ajit Pawar.
Rohit cited documents from Mar. 10 and Feb. 26, allegedly filed with the EC and signed by Patel and Tatkare, claiming that without a national president, all authority vests in the working president.
The clarification comes amid a controversy over the alleged hasty grant of minority status to 75 educational institutions in the days following the death of Pawar.