NCP crisis: Ajit Pawar claims lead with 29 MLAs; uncle Sharad Pawar may have 17. Top updates

The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday held separate meetings with their MLAs in Mumbai amid the NCP crisis. As many as 29 of 53 NCP MLAs were present at the party meeting convened by Ajit Pawar, while the Sharad Pawar camp appeared to have 17 legislators.

Top updates on Sharad Pawar's NCP, Ajit Pawar camp meeting:

1. Some reports claimed that Ajit Pawar's faction number could increase further. News agency PTI reported that five of eight NCP MLCs are also attending the meeting taking place in suburban Bandra.

2. Chhagan Bhujbal of the Ajit Pawar faction said, "Over 40 MLAs and MLCs are with us. We have done all the due diligence before taking the oath. We did not take the oath just like that."

3. NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s supporters gathered at his residence in south Mumbai in the morning, hours ahead of the show of strength meetings.

4. Outside Silver Oak, Sharad Pawar’s residence, a party worker was seen carrying a banner which read: '83-year-old warrior waging a fight alone'.

5. Supporters of Ajit Pawar also gathered outside his Devgiri official residence, before he left to attend the meeting at Bandra for the meeting with his MLAs.

6. The meeting at YB Chavan Auditorium has a picture of Sharad Pawar on the stage. The group led by Ajit Pawar has placed a picture of Sharad Pawar along with their leaders and has also prominently displayed the party's election symbol 'clock'.

7. The NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar is taking affidavits from party workers to show their allegiance at MET Bandra. Sharad Pawar loyalists raised slogans in his support at YB Chavan Centre.

8. The NCP led by Sharad Pawar has moved a disqualification petition against the nine MLAs to Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar.

9. Apart from Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Mundo, Dharmaraobaba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode and Anil Patil joined Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis Maharashtra government as ministers on Sunday.

10. Sharad Pawar has removed his close aide Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare from the party for "anti-party activities".

(With inputs from agencies)