Wanted to quit after NCP split, but changed mind on meeting Sharad Pawar, says Amol Kolhe

NCP Lok Sabha MP Amol Kolhe. Pic/Twitter@kolhe_amol

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Lok Sabha MP Amol Kolhe on Tuesday said he was restless over the developments in the outfit in Maharashtra and wanted to quit, but calmed down after meeting party president Sharad Pawar and speaking his mind, reported news agency PTI.

Amol Kolhe, an actor by profession, was present in the Raj Bhavan for Sunday's swearing-in of NCP leader and deputy CM Ajit Pawar and eight other party MLAs, but later issued a statement, saying his loyalties were with the senior Pawar.

Talking to PTI, Kolhe said he felt very uneasy after the rebellion in the NCP and met Sharad Pawar to express his desire to quit as an MP.

"But Pawar saheb told me restlessness over ongoing developments (in NCP) was not just in my mind but also in the minds of youths and voters in the state," the Lok Sabha MP from Shirur in Pune district told PTI.

"We need to tour the state to protect democracy. Shirur voters have given you a mandate for 5 years of which now eight to ten months are left. It is your duty to fulfil the vision of development of the constituency," Kolhe quoted the NCP president as advising him during the meeting.

The actor-MP issued a statement about his meeting and tweeted that seeking the 82-year-old politician's guidance had given him positive answers to questions he was facing.

On Monday, while announcing his loyalty to Sharad Pawar, Kolhe tweeted, "Jab dil aur dimag mein jung ho toh dil ki suno (listen to your heart in battle between heart and mind)."

Meanwhile, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP has issued a whip to all MLAs asking them to remain present for a key meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday, while the rival group headed by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has also called a separate meeting of party legislators in Mumbai.

The one-line whip issued on Tuesday by Jitendra Awhad, chief whip of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, said the meeting has been called by Sharad Pawar at 1 pm at Y B Chavan Centre on July 5, and the presence of all MLAs is mandatory.

Pawar senior named Awhad as chief whip after nephew Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government with eight other MLAs on Sunday.

The Ajit Pawar camp also issued a notice on Tuesday to all current and former legislators, parliamentarians, office-bearers, working committee members and others, asking them to attend a meeting convened by Sunil Tatkare, the Maharashtra unit president appointed by the group, at the MET institute's premises in suburban Bandra on Wednesday.

The notice was issued by Shivajirao Garje, who has been expelled by the Sharad Pawar-led party for "indulging in anti-party activities".

(With inputs from PTI)