NCP crisis deepens as rival camps go on sacking spree to control hold over party

The Day 2 of the crisis in the National Congress Party (NCP) on Monday (July 3) saw both the factions going on a sacking spree to tighten their grip over the party while seeking disqualification of certain MLAs in each other’s camps. This came a day after Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde government as Deputy Chief Minister along with eight other NCP MLAs who were appointed as ministers.

The Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar factions of the NCP are slated to hold separate meetings in Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in south Mumbai and in Bhujbal Knowledge City in suburban Bandra, respectively, on Wednesday (July 5) to plan the next course of action. NCP’s national president Sharad Pawar has called a meeting at 1 pm while the Ajit Pawar faction, which has aligned with the ruling Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis dispensation, will have its meet at 11am.

Also read: Maharashtra: Sule asks NCP chief to disqualify Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare

This will be the first meeting involving all functionaries for both factions since the party split on Sunday after Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil and Hasan Mushrif, joined the Eknath Shinde government. Both factions have claimed maximum number of MLAs are with them. Incidentally, Amol Kolhe, Lok Sabha MP from Shirur, who attended the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, a day later tweeted that he continued to be loyal to party supremo Sharad Pawar.

Sackings, new appointments

On Monday, soon after NCP president Sharad Pawar removed party working president Praful Patel and general secretary Sunil Tatkare for engaging in “anti-party activities, the faction owing allegiance to Ajit Pawar hit back by sacking state unit president Jayant Patil and making new appointments.

Patel appointed Ajit Pawar as the leader of the NCP legislature party.

“I, as the National President, of Nationalist Congress Party hereby order the removal of the names of Shri Sunil Tatkare and Shri Praful Patel from the Register of Members of NCP Party for anti-party activities,” Sharad Pawar said in a tweet tagging Patel, a Rajya Sabha MP who was appointed as NCP working president last month, and Tatkare, a Lok Sabha MP.

In notices issued to Patel and Tatkare, Sharad Pawar accused them of accused them of facilitating and spearheading ‘defections’ of the nine MLAs without his knowledge and consent.

“Your action of supporting Shri Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who have sworn oath as ministers in violation of the party’s direction and mandate amounts to anti-party activities”. “I remove your names from the membership register of the party in view of your actions,” Sharad Pawar said.

Also read: Ajit Pawar, Bhujbal meet Fadnavis to discuss allocation of portfolios

The letter said that the party initiated the formal disqualification of Patel and Tatkare as MPs under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. It added that “misrepresentation of association with NCP henceforth will be illegal and unlawful” on the part of Patel and Tatkare.

Sharad Pawar’s action came soon after NCP working president Supriya Sule, in a letter, demanded action against Patel and Tatkare, whose daughter is one of the new ministers in the Shinde cabinet.

Camp Ajit Pawar retaliates

The Ajit Pawar camp soon hit back by appointing Tatkare as the Maharashtra NCP president in place of Jayant Patil. It also asked the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to disqualify Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from membership of the House.

Praful Patel told the media that he has appointed Ajit Pawar as the leader of the NCP legislature party, while Anil Bhaidas Patil, who took oath as a minister on Sunday, will continue to be the party whip in the Assembly.

Patel said the decision to back the Eknath Shinde-led government and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a “collective” move by the NCP. “Today (Monday) is Guru Purnima; we all wish that Sharad Pawar continues to bless us,” said Patel.

He said instead of asking them how many MLAs are in the Ajit Pawar camp, the question should be put to the other side (rival group).

Also read: Maharashtra: After 51 years, over 200 MLAs part of ruling government

He said Anil Patil, who was among the ministers who joined the Eknath Shinde-BJP government on Sunday, will continue to be NCP’s whip in the Maharashtra Assembly.

Ajit Pawar, who was present at the press meet, reiterated his claim that he has the most number of NCP MLAs backing him and that he has given a letter to the Assembly Speaker, seeking disqualification of party MLAs Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad (who belong to rival group) from the House.

“A majority of NCP MLAs are with us, that is why I became Deputy Chief Minister. We have requested the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to disqualify Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad,” he said.

Ajit Pawar said the party and MLAs were with him and the notice for disqualification against him and the eight newly sworn-in ministers was meaningless. Asked whether he will expel anybody from the party, including NCP working president and his cousin Sule, Ajit Pawar shot back, “We are not here to expel anybody from our party.”

The Deputy Chief Minister said he had the party with him and also its symbol (clock). “Whatever we are doing is in the interest of the party. We will strengthen our party further,” he said.

‘Election Commission to decide’

Asked who was the NCP’s national head, Ajit Pawar said, “The party national president is Sharad Pawar. Have you forgotten?” He said the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly is appointed by the Speaker and not by a party functionary.

“Law will decide if we have rebelled. Only the Election Commission of India will decide to whom the party belongs,” said Ajit Pawar and added the Mahayuti government (led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde) in Maharashtra will work for welfare of the state and its people.

“We have given guru dakshina (tradition of thanks-giving and acknowledging role of guru/teacher in one’s life)” to the senior Pawar.

Also read: ‘My fight is against communal forces; I will rebuild the party’: Sharad Pawar

“We got the deputy chief minister’s post and we will work for welfare of the state,” said Ajit Pawar.

Taking a dim view of Jayant Patil appointing Awhad as the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, he said, “It is the prerogative of the Speaker and the Opposition party with highest number of seats gets the post.”

The NCP has 53 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly.