All NCP workers are with Sharad Pawar, says Jitendra Awhad

Jitendra Awhad. File pic

Newly appointed Maharashtra Leader of Opposition and National Congress Party (NCP) leader Jitendra Awhad expressed strong disapproval over the NCP Ajit Pawar faction using Sharad Pawar's photo at their party office saying that all the NCP workers support Sharad Pawar and are upset about Ajit Pawar's move, reported news agency ANI.

"All NCP workers are with Pawar saheb (Sharad Pawar). That is why workers are angry with what Ajit Pawar did. That is why his poster has been removed from the party office," Jitendra Awhad was quoted as saying by ANI.

Speaking about the strong disapproval of Sharad Pawar about using his picture at the party office of Ajit Pawar's faction of NCP, Jitendra Awhad said, "The thing that Pawar Saheb has said regarding his picture is absolutely correct. NCP party is of Sharad Pawar. So only Pawar Saheb will decide who will use his picture."

Referring to Ajit Pawar's coup on Sunday, the newly appointed NCP chief whip said, "What has Ajit Pawar and his colleagues done to Pawar saheb? They rejected his ideals and went on with the BJP. So with what right he (Ajit Pawar) is using Pawar saheb's picture? Now he is asking for votes on his own."

Opposing Ajit Pawar's move on constructing a new party office near Mantralay in Mumbai, the NCP leader questioned how he is using the name and the symbol of the NCP.

"With what authority Ajit Pawar's faction is building another party office by taking the name and symbol of the party?" Awhad asked.

Schooling Ajit Pawar on the recent Supreme Court's order on the Eknath Shinde - Uddhav Thackeray standoff, Awhad said, "He is not aware of the order given by the Supreme Court in the Shinde faction case. According to that order, he cannot use the election symbol fixed by the Election Commission. All these will come under legal action. We are considering that also."

Reacting to Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narvekar deciding on Ajit Pawar's latest move, Awhad said, "Speaker Rahul Narvekar has every right to decide on our petition. But how much time he has to take." "Now Sunil Prabhu of the Uddhav faction of the Shiv Sena has gone to the Supreme Court. It will decide by how much time the Speaker will have to take a decision," he added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sunil Prabhu has moved the Supreme Court to seek a direction to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker to decide on the disqualification pleas pending against rebel Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde. Jitendra Awhad added that there were signals given by Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel that they were about to leave the party.

"Ajit Pawar was about to leave..we already knew it... because he started giving signals. Praful Patel was also continuously giving signals..and now he did this," he said.

Ajit Pawar had earlier said that he wants the post within the party and was not satisfied being the Leader of Opposition of the Maharashtra Assembly. Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra on Sunday and took oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister on Sunday in a surprise and dramatic political move that changed political equations in the state ahead of Lok Sabha and assembly polls next year and has ramifications for national politics.

(With inputs from PTI)