Where have all the NCP MLAs gone?

Nationalist Congress Party's coup leader Ajit Pawar persisted with his efforts, albeit unsuccessfully, to win over his uncle Sharad Pawar on the second consecutive day. After taking his ministerial colleagues to his uncle on Sunday, he led the legislators who had sided with him in the rebellion to meet Pawar senior at YB Chavan Centre on Monday.

The visit took place soon after the first day's business of the monsoon session of the legislature closed, amid speculations that neither group had been able to prove its majority in the house.

The visitors claimed that like Sunday, they had arrived unannounced, to meet the octogenarian. The visit followed a perplexing situation at the Legislative Assembly where all sights were set on the lower house benches. One could see 15 MLAs, including nine ministers, seated on the ruling side, while the rival group's 10 sat opposite them. That left 28 missing (27 if Nawab Malik, who is in jail, is excluded). The NCP has 53 MLAs. Some 35 MLAs and five MLCs (out of eight) had attended Ajit's conclave after the coup. The rebel group needs two-thirds of the party's total strength to avoid disqualification from the house. It has already notified the Election Commission about claiming the party's name and symbol. The whip war is expected to be seen in the ongoing session.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and his supporters at YB Chavan Centre on Monday. Pic/Ashish Raje

So far, there is no authentic information available on whether Ajit, now part of the BJP-Sena (Shinde)-NCP (rebel) Mahayuti, has two-thirds of the party's aggregate. The rival group too hasn't made any claim, except for a letter to the Speaker that demanded a separate sitting arrangement for the defector ministers. The division was seen on the first day, although it did not give a clear picture. Both sides said a real picture would be seen in days to come.

Ajit's accompaniment, his faction's working president Praful Patel and state unit president Sunil Tatkare did the talking while the DyCM took a backseat in front of the media persons.

‘Made the same request'

Patel said he had no way to understand what was on Sharad Pawar's mind. "Like yesterday, we understood that Pawar saheb would come to YB Chavan Centre. We came here without seeking his time and requested, just like yesterday, that the party be kept intact. We requested him to find a way," said Patel after the meeting.

Insisting that the NCP family was still intact, Tatkare said his party colleagues did not worry much about what other parties had said about their consecutive visits to their leader and deity. "I know many things about the Congress and I can tell you about it here. I think no other party has the right to comment on happenings in our party," he said, about the Congress' criticism of their visit.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had said that his party leadership would never meet the rebels and ask them to ‘get out' if they gatecrashed like the Ajit faction.
Asked by a section of the media later on Monday, Ajit Pawar left without commenting on the development. However, he had said at the pre-session press conference on Sunday that the people outside NCP and in the media should not worry much about his party.

Pawar unmoved: Patil

In a bid to clear the air from the Pawar senior's side, Jayant Patil also addressed a media conference. "All MLAs touched Pawar Saheb's feet to seek his blessings and repeated a request that the ministers had made on Sunday," he said, clarifying that the ‘unscheduled' meetings had not raised any questions about Pawar senior's stand that he would, in no way, go with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

According to insiders, Pawar had told the visitors and his loyalists that he would not change his stand, notwithstanding how many people meet him to convince him.

Patil added, "It's no big deal if the people whose political career has been shaped by Pawar saheb visit him. It's a large NCP family of which some have taken the wrong step. There is no need for others to get restive over this." He maintained that the rebel group had repeatedly urged the party boss to find a way out to resolve the situation (that has arisen because of a coup by select MLAs).

Patil said that the people who had made unpleasant statements (such as demanding the ageing party boss' retirement) about Pawar senior were also among the visitors who had arrived without intimation. "Pawar saheb asked me to join him when the visitors came calling. I said I may be late and he could begin the talks in the meantime. But he said no way. He met them only after I arrived there," he stated further, clearly indicating that Pawar was being transparent with his loyalists, who might get confused if such meetings happened in their absence.

NDA for Ajit, uncle in Oppn

On Tuesday, the Pawars are expected to go in opposite directions. While the uncle will be attending the Opposition's joint conclave in Bangalore, Ajit has been invited to attend the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting in New Delhi. Pawar skipped the first day's proceedings in Bangalore in view of the state's legislative session and meeting of his loyalist MLAs.

Patil said many NCP legislators were absent in Monday's legislative business because they could not travel in the heavy rain to Mumbai. "All questions will be answered as the session progresses," he said.

35
No. of NCP MLAs who attended Ajit's conclave

53
Total no. of NCP MLAs