Ajit Pawar doesn't have support of majority of MLAs, says NCP

NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said that the party working president Supriya Sule and state unit chief Jayant Patil are contacting all the 53 MLAs and the picture will become clearer by Monday

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday night said Ajit Pawar, who has joined the Eknath Shinde-led government as Deputy Chief Minister with some leaders, doesn't have the support of 36 MLAs as being claimed, reported news agency PTI.

NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto told PTI that the party working president Supriya Sule and state unit chief Jayant Patil are contacting all the 53 MLAs and the picture will become clearer by Monday.

The NCP has 53 MLAs in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly and Ajit Pawar needs the support of at least 36 legislators to not attract the provisions of anti-defection law.

"Ajit Pawar doesn't have the support of 36 MLAs as being claimed," Crasto told PTI.

Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy CM in the Shiv Sena-BJP government on Sunday afternoon, while eight other MLAs of NCP were sworn in as ministers.

In the evening, sources cited a letter submitted to Raj Bhavan to claim that Ajit Pawar enjoys the support of more than 40 MLAs and over six of nine MLCs of his party.

Addressing reporters after taking oath as deputy CM, Ajit Pawar had maintained that there was no split in the NCP and that they would contest all future elections on the NCP's name and symbol.

"All the elected representatives (of the party) have supported the decision to join the government," he had claimed.

Ajit Pawar's uncle and NCP chief Sharad Pawar had said some people whose names are on the list (of BJP) had called him to inform they were invited (to Mumbai) and their signatures were taken.
"They said their stand as (MLAS) of NCP is different," he added. 

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has moved a petition before Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, seeking disqualification of Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who have taken oath as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led government.

Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil on Sunday said his party has moved the disqualification petition against Ajit Pawar and eight others.

He said an e-mail has also been sent to the Election Commission of India informing that the rank and file of the NCP is with party chief Sharad Pawar.

The party founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999 suffered a vertical split on Sunday after his nephew Ajit Pawar broke ranks and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government as deputy chief minister.

Eight other NCP MLAs, including staunch Sharad Pawar loyalists like Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil, were made ministers.

(With inputs from PTI)

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