'If Ajit Pawar joins hands with the BJP, most of the NCP MLAs will go with him'

Two MLAs of the Opposition Nationalist Congress Party NCP on Monday asserted they will remain loyal to their leader Ajit Pawar no matter what decision he takes in the coming days remarks coming amid intense speculation in Maharashtras political circles about the latter inching closer to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party BJPOne of the legislators Manikrao Kokate even said if the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly joins hands with the BJP most of the NCP MLAs numbering 53 will go with himSpeculation about Ajit Pawars next political move started swirling when last week he suddenly cancelled his schedule meetings and also made comments which were seen as being soft on the BJP and Chief Minister Eknath Shindes camp The BJP is part of the Shinde governmentEarlier this month the former deputy CM had credited Prime Minister Narendra Modis charisma for the BJPs victory in 2014 and said inflation and jobs for youth were more important issues than the PMs academic degreesHowever for record the Pawar junior has dubbed speculation about moving closer to the BJP as baseless and denied meeting Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah who was in Mumbai over the weekendThe two NCP MLAs Anna Bansode Pune district and Manikrao Kokate Nashik district while speaking to regional news channel TV9 Marathi said they would stick with Ajit Pawar whatever decision he takes in the next few daysAlso readShinde govt faces opposition heat over sunstroke deaths at Maha award event as toll rises to 13Bansode said When Ajit Pawar had tried to form a government with the BJP in November 2019 Devendra FadnavisAjit Pawar government had lasted for 3 days I had expressed my full support to Pawar I am still loyal to him and extend my full support to whatever decision he may take in the futureKokate claimed most of the NCP MLAs are with Ajit PawarThere is not a single leader in the Maharashtra Assembly except Ajit Pawar who can run a government efficiently If Ajit Pawar joins hands with the BJP most of the NCP MLAs will go with him he saidBansode even stated that Ajit Pawar had called for a meeting on Tuesday in Mumbai and he would attend it However less than an hour after Bansodes on air statement the NCP clarified that no such meeting has been scheduledAjit Pawar and current chief minister Eknath Shinde were cabinet colleagues in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government headed by Uddhav Thackeray Under the MVA government where Ajit Pawar served as deputy CM and held the finance portfolio claims were made that his party NCP had cornered the lions share in budgetary allocations for different departmentsShiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed NCP chief Sharad Pawar recently told former CM Uddhav Thackeray that his party will never join hands with the BJP even if someone in the party takes an individual decision to do soThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever