In Maharashtra thriller, NCP says 3 of 4 ‘missing’ MLAs have returned

The three legislators are currently at the Hyatt hotel in Mumbai where NCP MLAs were moved on Sunday amid fears of poaching. NCP leaders claimed that now only one party MLA Anna Bansode is supporting Ajit Pawar.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday claimed that three of its four legislators who couldn’t be reached since Saturday have returned to the party fold. The MLAs had gone incommunicado after NCP’s Ajit Pawar was sworn-in as Maharashtra deputy chief minister.

2 out of the 4 MLAs of NCP - Anil Patil (3rd from right in the picture, in yellow shirt) & Daulat Daroda (5th from right in the picture, in yellow shirt), who were reportedly missing, have been brought to Mumbai from Delhi. The 2 MLAs were staying in a hotel in Haryana’s Gurugram. (ANI)

Leaders of the Sharad Pawar-led party said MLAs Daulat Daroda and Anil Patil and Narhari Patil returned to Mumbai on Sunday night.

The three legislators are currently at the Hyatt hotel in Mumbai where NCP MLAs were moved on Sunday amid fears of poaching. NCP leaders claimed that now only one party MLA Anna Bansode is supporting Ajit Pawar.

“Only four MLAs were out of contact. Of them, three — Narhari Zirwal, Anil Patil and Daulat Daroda — have came back. Only Anna Bansode is left now, who was in Pune. He has also been contacted and he will return soon,” said Nawab Malik, Mumbai NCP president.

Efforts continued on Monday morning to persuade Ajit Pawar to return to NCP fold. Senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal met Ajit Pawar at his residence near Churchgate in south Mumbai. This is the third consecutive day when senior NCP leaders are reaching out to Ajit Pawar.

Since Saturday, NCP has been claiming that only five MLAs were incommunicado. On Sunday, MLAs Daulat Daroda and Babasaheb Patil released videos saying that they are still with the NCP.

Ajit Pawar met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at his residence on Sunday evening. Both leaders discussed the possible outcome of the Supreme Court hearing on Monday and the strategy ahead, said a leader, who didn’t wish to be named.

The Maharashtra chief minister’s office though tweeted that Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar discussed on “various measures for additional support and assistance” to unseasonal rain affected farmers.

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to produce on Monday morning Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s invitation to Fadnavis to form the government and the CM’s letter to the governor staking claim.

The court is also likely to decide on a date for a floor test in the Maharashtra assembly.

In its hearing on Monday, the Supreme Court is likely to take a

On Saturday morning, Devendra Fadnavis was sworn-in as chief minister and NCP’s Ajit Pawar as deputy chief minister.

Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress had approached the court and claimed that the BJP-led government does not have the numbers to clear a floor test.