Mumbai: Even as deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar asserted in the Supreme Court that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, the NCP is still trying to convince him to resign. Several NCP leaders, including senior leaders Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil and Sunil Tatkare met him at Vidhan Bhavan throughout the day.
It is likely that Ajit Pawar will issue a whip on voting day as the legislative party leader of the NCP, even though his uncle Sharad Pawar has announced that the junior Pawar had been removed from the post after took he oath as deputy chief minister along with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Most of the leaders who met Ajit Pawar refused to reveal anything from their meeting with the leader. Vidya Chavan, who was one of them, said she paid just a courtesy visit. “We are all with the NCP and Sharad Pawar. None of us has defected and we are confident that Ajitdada will also resign and come back,” she said as she was leaving Vidhan Bhavan.
According to sources, Ajit Pawar will issue a whip on the day of the floor test of the Fadnavis government. This was also indicated by his submissions in the Supreme Court on Monday.
“I am the NCP. The letter I gave (to the governor) is factually correct. There is nothing to contradict the letter. I was authorised as a legislative party leader by 54 MLAs of my party to take a decision on their behalf on government formation, on the day I gave that letter. The quarrel I have within my family will be resolved soon, but this petition must end now,” he said in the SC.
BJP leader Ashish Shelar also said that the whip issued by Ajit Pawar would be considered valid. “The NCP has still not suspended Ajit Pawar from his post as leader of the party’s legislature wing and membership of the party. Hence, he is still the leader of the NCP in the Assembly and he will issue the whip,” he said.
Meanwhile, an editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana launched a scathing attack on the BJP, saying that those who did not respect their 25-year-long friendship with the Uddhav Thackeray-led party would one day dump Ajit Pawar as well.
The editorial also said that Ajit Pawar’s rebellion had failed and this would be evidence in the next few days.
