Maharashtra politics: Sharad Pawar-led NCP orders MLAs to attend meet today in Mumbai; Ajit Pawar group also issues notice for its meet

Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar. Pics/PTI

The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has issued a whip to all MLAs asking them to remain present for a key meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday, while the rival group headed by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has also called a separate meeting of party legislators in Mumbai, reported news agency PTI.

According to PTI, the one-line whip issued on Tuesday by Jitendra Awhad, chief whip of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, said the meeting has been called by Sharad Pawar at 1 pm at Y B Chavan Centre on July 5, and the presence of all MLAs is mandatory.

Pawar senior named Awhad as chief whip after nephew Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government with eight other MLAs on Sunday.

The Ajit Pawar camp also issued a notice on Tuesday to all current and former legislators, parliamentarians, office-bearers, working committee members and others, asking them to attend a meeting convened by Sunil Tatkare, the Maharashtra unit president appointed by the group, at the MET institute's premises in suburban Bandra on Wednesday.

The notice was issued by Shivajirao Garje, who has been expelled by the Sharad Pawar-led party for "indulging in anti-party activities".

The Ajit Pawar camp has asked Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to disqualify state NCP president Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad as MLAs.

NCP working president Praful Patel, who was sacked from the party by Sharad Pawar, on Monday appointed Ajit Pawar as 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.

The NCP led by Sharad Pawar has moved a petition before Speaker Narwekar, seeking disqualification of Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who have taken oath as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led government.

The NCP has 53 MLAs in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Tuesday said he will have to first decide whether the Nationalist Congress Party is in power or in Opposition in the House and "who represents it".

State NCP president Jayant Patil has submitted a petition to Narwekar seeking to disqualify Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs after they joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government two days ago.

"I can not divide the NCP into two factions as there is no official split. I will have to ascertain whether the NCP is in power or not (in the Assembly)," Narwekar told a Marathi news channel.

(With inputs from PTI)