Ajit Pawar, Bhujbal meet Fadnavis to discuss allocation of portfolios

Ajit Pawar and state minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday (July 3) went to meet deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to discuss allocation of portfolios in the cabinet, sources said.

On Sunday, Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to become the deputy chief minister. Eight other NCP leaders were also sworn in as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal and a few other NCP leaders have reached Meghdoot bungalow (official residence of Fadnavis).

“They will discuss the distribution of cabinet portfolios,” a source close to Ajit Pawar said.

In the past, Ajit Pawar held portfolios such as water resources department, power and finance. Currently, all the three portfolios are with Fadnavis, who also holds charge of the state home department.

Earlier in the morning, there was a meeting between Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs at the former’s residence, said media reports quoting sources.

I will rebuild the party: Sharad Pawar

Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar visited the memorial of his mentor and Maharashtra’s first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan in Satara district. A day after his nephew defected to the BJP, Pawar said the BJP was trying to “destroy” all Opposition parties, and vowed to rebuild the NCP.

Further, Pawar asserted, “My fight against communal forces begins today. Such rebellions happen. I will rebuild the party.”

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) too moved a petition to disqualify Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs after they joined the Maharashtra government, forcing Speaker Rahul Narwekar to say on July 3 that he will take “appropriate action”.

Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil on Sunday (July 2) said his party had sent an email also to the Election Commission, informing it that the rank and file of the party was with its Sharad Pawar, who founded the NCP 24 years ago after breaking away from the Congress.

The petition was reportedly delivered at Narwekar’s residence on Sunday night.

Also read: Maharashtra: NCP leaders had hint of BJP’s intention to break party, says Rohit Pawar

The NCP’s central disciplinary committee made it clear that Ajit Pawar, a nephew of Sharad Pawar, and the others had “indulged in anti-party activities in clear and absolute violation of article 32 of the party constitution.”

“These actions call for immediate disqualification as not only are such defections ipso facto seriously damaging to the party but also that if allowed to continue as members, there is a very real likelihood that they will continue to try and undermine the interests of the party,” the committee said.

NCP acts

“The fact that defections were done in such a secretive manner, without the knowledge or consent of the party president, amounts of desertion of the party which in turn invites disqualification,” the letter read.

Speaker Narwekar told the media in Mumbai that he had received Jayant Patil’s petition seeking disqualification of Ajit Pawar and others who took oath on Sunday as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led government.

“I will read it carefully. I will study the points mentioned and take appropriate action on the petition,” he said.

The Speaker said it was his prerogative to decide on the appointment of a new opposition leader in the Assembly.

Also read: Opposition leaders dial Sharad Pawar, lash out at BJP over Ajit’s switchover to Shinde govt

Sources told The Federal that the Sharad Pawar camp is also exploring legal options in the event of the speaker delaying action on the disqualification petition.

Ajit Pawar’s surprise move

The NCP on Sunday appointed Jitendra Awhad as the leader of opposition after incumbent Ajit Pawar joined the Shinde government. Awhad is an MLA from Mumbra-Kalwa in Thane district.

The dramatic split in the NCP took place on Sunday when Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government as a second deputy chief minister. He was accompanied by eight NCP MLAs including some supposedly staunch Sharad Pawar loyalists.

Despite the NCP fightback, Ajit Pawar remained defiant and said many more NCP legislators were in touch with him. The BJP made it known that virtually the entire NCP legislature party may cross over to the treasury benches.

Also read: Maharashtra CM Shinde mocks Opposition for ‘predicting’ his govt’s fall

Ajit Pawar has also stake claim to the NCP’s name and symbol, the way Eknath Shinde did after he broke away from the Shiv Sena.

(With inputs from agencies)