Sharad Pawar to hold meeting of NCP MLAs in Mumbai

Mumbai: NCP chief Sharad Pawar will hold a meeting of his party MLAs here at 4.30 pm, in the wake of his nephew and legislature party leader Ajit Pawar joining hands with the BJP to form the government in Maharashtra on Saturday.

Ajit Pawar shocked his party after he was sworn-in as the deputy chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Devendra Fadnavis as the chief minister of Maharashtra on Saturday morning.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won 54 seats in last month's state Assembly polls. Ajit Pawar, who represents the Baramati constituency, won the election with a record margin of 1.65 lakh votes.

It is not clear yet as to how many NCP MLAs are siding with Ajit Pawar.

"Pawar saheb has convened a meeting at 4.30 pm in the wake of the developments. So far, no NCP MLA is learnt to have sided with Ajit Pawar," a party leader said, requesting anonymity.

Till Friday night, the NCP was busy making efforts to form a government with the Shiv Sena and the Congress in the state.

Meanwhile, NCP leader Nawab Malik alleged that Ajit Pawar misused the signatures of party MLAs, on the basis of which the new government was formed.

He claimed that this government will not clear the floor test in the Assembly.

"Those MLAs, who had gone to the Raj Bhavan in the morning, have met Sharad Pawar now. Pawar, (Congress leaders) Ahmed Patel, K C Venupgopal, (Shiv Sena chief) Uddhav Thackeray will make a joint statement at 12.30 pm," Malik said.

"We want to ensure that the alliance of the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena remains," he added.

Meanwhile, NCP MP Supriya Sule, whose WhatsApp status read - "Family and party split" - declined to comment on the development.

"I will speak after the official joint press conference of the three parties," she said.

Sule's another WhatsApp status read: "Who do you trust in life. Never felt so cheated in life. Defended him, loved him. Look what I get in return."