NCP crisis Highlights: All rebel MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, disqualified for ‘anti-party’ activities

A day after facing rebellion, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has left for Karad in Satara district to pay tribute at memorial of Yashwantrao Chavan. Pawar is accompanied by wife Pratibha, grand nephew Rohit Pawar, NCP Rajya Sabha MP Vandana Chavan, party Pune unit chief Prashant Jagtap, and Spokesperson Ankush Kakade

Chhattisgarh Deputy CM TS Singh Deo, speaking on Maharashtra politics said, “It's their party's internal matter...it would have been better if they had not switched sides.”

National President, NCP youth wing Sonia Doohan, speaking on NCP crisis said, “It's their personal decision and has nothing to do with the party. We just want to say that the whole party is standing with Pawar Sahab. Without Pawar Sahab, there is no NCP. The whole country and the state of Maharashtra, the people of Maharashtra are strongly standing with Pawar Sahab.”

NCP Pune president Prashant Jagtap on Maharashtra politics, said, “After what Ajit Pawar did yesterday, all NCP supporters have decided to stay with Sharad Pawar and we will keep supporting him. The supporters of NCP will stand with Pawar Saheb and will fight against BJP and PM Modi unitedly.”

BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, speaking on Maharashtra politics said, “You can see the condition of the people who gathered in Patna. The whole country is with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is just the beginning. The effect of the opposition’s gathering in Patna has begun to show its result in Maharashtra. BJP is preparing for election in Bihar and BJP will again get good results.”

AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan on NCP crisis said, “It’s a clear call for parties who promote dynasty politics, if any party wants to follow the same, their end will be soon, as time is fast changing & people’s expectation are fast changing. Everyone will follow the NCP model soon, this will spread from Bihar to Telangana and other states. Probably Ajit Pawar believed that he had worked hard for the party & he deserves due recognition.”

Hours after NCP leader Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy chief minister in the Eknath Shinde government, party's working president and his cousin Supriya Sule on Sunday said the developments in the party will not impact the Opposition's unity. 

Addressing a press conference late night in Mumbai, Sule said her father and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar's stature will rise further. "Our credibility will only rise after this," she said. 

She also said that Ajit Pawar may have different views, but she can never fight with her elder brother and that she will always love him as a sister.

(PTI)

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.

NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto also claimed 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," claimed Crasto.

(PTI)

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Waris Pathan slammed Ajit Pawar for joining the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra and said that NCP has become the BJP's B team in Maharashtra.

Waris Pathan further said that "BJP is a washing machine" and whoever gets into it gets a clean chit from all his wrongdoing.

"Ajit (Pawar) again went to Fadnavis. Along with him, 30 MLAs went with him. They can do anything for power. The NCP has become the BJP's B team in Maharashtra. Maybe he (Sharad Pawar) also wanted the same... The BJP is a washing machine. What will happen to the ₹70,000 crore scam? PM Modi said to his party workers two days ago that the NCP is the most corrupt party. The people of Maharashtra are watching, said AIMIM National Spokesperson Waris Pathan.

(ANI)

NCP leader Jitendra Awhad, who was appointed the new Leader of Opposition after Ajit Pawar joined the Maharashtra government as deputy chief minister on Sunday, reached Maharashtra speaker's office to hand over his appointment letter. 

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) working president Supriya Sule and MP Supriya Sule on Sunday said that Ajit Pawar joining the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis Maharashtra Government is "painful" but her relationship with him would remain the same.

"My relationship with Ajit Pawar will not change, he will always remain my elder brother. We will rebuild the party," said NCP MP Supriya Sule.

"Whatever happened is painful. Sharad Pawar treated everyone like a family and he is our senior leader, I don't think speaking after his statement will be correct," Sule added.

(ANI)

Taking a jibe at the BJP, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “Till yesterday those whom they used to call corrupt, used to raid CBI/ED on them, today have included them in your government? Aren't you ashamed Prime Minister? So when the Prime Minister says - I will not spare a single corrupt person, he means - I will include everyone in my party.”

After NCP leader Ajit Pawar and eight other party leaders joined the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra on Sunday in a surprise and dramatic political move, the party filed a disqualification petition with the assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar against its nine leaders.

"We have filed a disqualification petition with the speaker of the assembly, and we will send hard copies as soon as possible. This disqualification petition was filed against nine leaders," said NCP leader Jayant Patil.

He further added, "They didn't inform anyone that they were leaving the party, which is against the NCP. We have also written a letter to the Election Commission of India. We are not accepting this; these nine leaders didn't inform us before doing this (leaving the party)."

(ANI)

After Ajit Pawar took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, party workers on Sunday celebrated outside the NCP office in Jalgaon bursting crackers. They also raised slogans like 'Ajit Pawar, you go ahead, we are with you'.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has the backing of more than 40 MLAs in the State Legislative Assembly and more than 6 MLCs in the Legislative Council. "Ajit Pawar has the backing of more than 40 MLAs in Vidhan Sabha and more than 6 MLCs in Vidhan Parishad," party sources said.

Newly appointed Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said, "Today, we have decided to support the Maharashtra government and took oath as ministers. There will be a discussion on the portfolios later. Considering all aspects at the national level, we thought that we should support development."

(ANI)

The history of Maharashtra politics repeated itself after three years and eight months on Sunday when Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister for the fifth time. The last time this happened—on November 23, 2019—Ajit’s hole-and-corner tryst with the BJP and his ministership lasted for a few days.

On Sunday, Ajit went in for action replay but this time with the support of over 40 of the NCP’s 53 MLAs. He chose to split the party even as his uncle, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, was busy getting all opposition parties together to take on the BJP. Sunday’s development is also about the nephew trying to outsmart his uncle in the long-standing cold war between the two.

Ajit (63) became deputy CM in November 2010 for the first time after flexing his muscle and thwarting his uncle’s plan to again give the position to the party’s heavyweight Chhagan Bhujbal. In a surprise move, he resigned in September 2012, following allegations against him in an irrigation scam, but came back within three months after obtaining a “clean chit” for himself from the then Congress-NCP government.

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