Sharad Pawar’s NCP admits 40 MLAs have defected to Ajit camp
NCP has admitted that 40 of its 53 MLAs have shifted loyalty to the group led by Ajit Pawar, prompting the party to seek their disqualification for anti-party activities. Both factions have filed affidavits before the Election Commission of India. The ECI will decide if it needs to start proceedings under the Election Symbols Order.
For the first time after the split, Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has admitted that 40 of its 53 MLAs have shifted their loyalty to the group led by Ajit Pawar. It has also written to the assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar, urging him to disqualify them for anti-party activities. The revelations were made in its affidavit filed before the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Both the factions have filed their affidavits and documents before the poll panel. The commission had asked both the factions to respond by September 8 to its notices related to the claim on the party’s name and election symbol by Ajit faction.
“We have requested the assembly speaker to disqualify 31 MLAs for anti-party activities. This is in addition to the petition already filed before the speaker seeking action against the nine MLAs who were inducted into the Shiv Sena-BJP government as ministers, including Ajit Pawar,” a senior NCP leader, requesting anonymity, said.
The party has also initiated action against four members of the legislative council who have defected to Ajit camp. “All this has been mentioned before the election commission justifying that there is no split in the party,” the NCP leader added.
On July 2, Ajit Pawar declared to join the alliance government along with a group of 40 MLAs and was also inducted as deputy chief minister. The same day, he declared to move the ECI staking claim on the party name and symbol.
The faction claimed to have elected Ajit Pawar as their new national president in a meeting held on June 30. Ajit then appointed Praful Patel as the new working president. The party is yet to declare its national executive body.
In the election affidavit, the Pawar-led faction also stressed that Sharad Pawar was still the elected national president. Jayant Patil, who is the legislature party chief and Maharashtra president of the party, is still with Pawar, NCP insiders said.
The Pawar-led group has filed around 40,000 affidavits by the party workers pledging their support to the party patriarch while the Ajit-led camp has submitted around 60,000 such affidavits. It has also managed to get support from the units in 24 states and four union territories. Among them are Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Delhi, Odisha, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kolkata, Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur, Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam and Gujarat.
“The Ajit-led faction has stated that the majority of the elected representatives, state units and leaders are with them and thus no disqualification action can be taken against them,” a senior leader from the rebel camp said.
It has also cited the election commission’s verdict in the case of a split in Shiv Sena in which the rebel faction led by chief minister Eknath Shinde was declared the real party.
After studying the replies from both the factions, the ECI will decide if it is required to start the proceedings under paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, or not as the poll panel has not yet registered a dispute proceeding in this case.
Paragraph 15 deals with the power of the commission in relation to a dispute between splinter groups or rival sections of a recognised political party. It authorises the commission to hold hearings by taking into account all the available facts and circumstances and give its decision which will be binding on all the rival groups.
Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.
Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.