Maharashtra political crisis: NCP chief Sharad Pawar holds party meeting

Sharad Pawar. File pic

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday held a party meeting amid political instability in the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra. The meeting is taking place at the residence of the NCP chief.

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, state Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, ministers Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad and party leader Sunil Tatkare are present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, a total of 42 Maharashtra MLAs are present with Eknath Shinde at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati, Assam. This includes 34 MLAs from Shiv Sena and eight Independent MLAs, informed sources.

Meanwhile, NCP leader Jayant Patil said, "If government stays we will be in power, if government goes we will sit in Opposition."

Also read: Does Eknath Shinde really have it in him to run Shiv Sena?

Taking a dig at Eknath Shinde, he also said, "I don't think that to form govt in one state, you can show your strength in another state. He (rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde) has to come here to show his MLAs to Governor...thereafter Governor will take the necessary decision."

Notably, seven more MLAs have joined the rebel group of MLAs led by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde in Guwahati on Thursday morning further deepening the political instability in the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra.

They reached the Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati, where other MLAs are campaigning. Last night four more MLAs joined Shinde in Guwahati. Moreover, a resolution passed by the Shiv Sena Legislature Party carrying signatures of 34 MLAs that rebel leader Eknath Shinde continues to be the leader, has been sent to the state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

(With inputs from ANI)