In Maharashtra, 5 NCP legislators miss key vote, fan internal rift speculation

The five NCP MLAs who did not participate in the election on Sunday were Dattatray Bharane, Baban Shinde, Nilesh Lanke, Dilip Mohite and Anna Bansode. Besides, senior NCP legislators Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik, who are currently in jail over money laundering charges, did not vote.

At least five legislators from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), besides its two jailed MLAs, were on Sunday absent from the crucial election process to the Maharashtra legislative assembly speaker, adding to the speculations that all was not well within the party.

Most of these MLAs who were absent during the voting process are considered close to senior NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. (Nitin Lawate)

Only 46 of the 53 NCP legislators could reach the Vidhan Bhavan to participate in the voting for the post of the assembly speaker. Rl Narwekar of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was elected as the speaker with 164 votes. The Maha Vikas Aghadi —comprising NCP, Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena — had named Sena MLA Rajan Salvi as its candidate for the speaker’s post.

The five NCP MLAs who did not participate in the election on Sunday were Dattatray Bharane, Baban Shinde, Nilesh Lanke, Dilip Mohite and Anna Bansode. Besides, senior NCP legislators Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik, who are currently in jail over money laundering charges, did not vote.

Bharane lost his mother Girijabai on July 1 while Shinde was in Australia on a personal trip, NCP leaders said. Mohite and Bansode were not allowed to participate in the voting process as they reached the Vidhan Bhavan late. Lanke could not be contacted.

Most of these MLAs who were absent during the voting process are considered close to senior NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. A section of the NCP wanted to realign with the BJP before Eknath Shinde split the Sena to join hands with the BJP and form the government in the state, people familiar with the matter told HT.

“However, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and party MP Supriya Sule were not in favour of such a move,” a party functionary said, requesting anonymity.

There are also speculations of a split within the NCP as a section of party legislators was not happy.

A close aide to Ajit Pawar said the senior leader feels he has natural claim to the post of the leader of Opposition in the assembly, but Sharad Pawar is also considering the name of party’s state unit chief Jayant Patil for the post, which is usually considered as the face of the opposition.

The issue of party MLAs who did not turn up for the voting was also discussed in a meeting headed by Sharad Pawar on Sunday late evening, another party functionary said. “It is not like five MLAs didn’t turn up. One of them has lost his mother. Mohite and Bansode reached a bit late and thus were not allowed to participate in the voting process,” said senior NCP leader Praful Patel.

Ajit Pawar did not comment on NCP MLAs being absent during the speaker’s poll.

“I reached on time but had to use the washroom. The voting process started around that time,” said Mohite. “Later, I requested the security personnel to allow me to enter, but they refused.”

There is nothing that we are against the party, he added.

According to legislative rules, the presiding officer orders starting alarm bell for five minutes after which no member is allowed to enter the House. The bell is an indication to the members that they will have to be present in the House within five minutes after which the doors will be shut.

“By the time I reached, the doors were closed and I could not vote,” said Bansode.