NCP files disqualification petition against 9 MLAs including Ajit Pawar

Mumbai: 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)."

"We believe most of the MLAs will come back to the NCP, and we will accept them again," he further added.

Earlier, in a surprising turn of events that in some ways resembled the split in the Shiv Sena almost a year ago, NCP leader Ajit Pawar took oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, with eight other party legislators also joining the National Democratic Alliance government in the state.

Ajit Pawar said all MLAs are with him, and they have joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government as a party.

"We have all the numbers. All MLAs are with me. We are here as a party. We have informed all seniors as well. The majority is given importance in a democracy. Our party is 24 years old and young leadership should come forward," Ajit Pawar said after taking oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

The Deputy CM further said that a few other ministers would be added in the next expansion.

"We took a decision to come with the Shinde-Fadanvis government with almost all MLAs of the NCP. We took the oath, and a few other ministers will be added in the next expansion", Ajit Pawar said.

State Governor Ramesh Bais administered the oath to NCP Leader Ajit Pawar as Maharashtra's second Deputy Chief Minister.

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.

Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar responded, "We live in a democratic country where everyone has the right to speak for themselves and keep their points. Ajit Pawar's move is his own decision and point of view."

Hours after Ajit Pawar and some other Nationalist Congress Party leaders joined the Maharashtra government, party chief Sharad Pawar said, "This is not 'googly', it is a robbery" and that he was worried about the future of those who left the party.