Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar have summoned party lawmakers, legislators and office-bearers loyal to each group for separate meetings in Mumbai on Wednesday, a move that could potentially decide the future of the factionalised party.
While NCP veteran Sharad Pawar will hold the meeting at YB Chavan Centre at Nariman Point, the faction led by his nephew Ajit Pawar, who joined the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government on Sunday, vertically dividing the 24-year-old party, will meet at MET Bhujbal Knowledge City in Bandra.
Following the split in the party, both senior leaders have convened separate meetings of their loyalists.
“Sharad Pawar is personally calling legislators, MPs and other senior office bearers to be with him in the time of adversity,” a leader loyal to his faction said, requesting anonymity.
“This is the right time, take the appropriate decision,” the leader cited above quoted Pawar as saying to an MLA on phone.
Pawar’s daughter and NCP working president Supriya Sule and party’s state president Jayant Patil released video messages asking all party office-bearers and leaders to attend the meeting. “I will be waiting for you all. The 83-year-old warrior and our beloved leader Sharad Pawar will be there to guide us all. He will tell us future plans of the party and our responsibilities,” Sule said in a 54-second video message.
Jitendra Awhad, who has been appointed as the leader of opposition and party’s chief whip in the assembly, issued a whip directing all NCP MLAs to be present for Pawar’s meeting.
{{/usCountry}}Jitendra Awhad, who has been appointed as the leader of opposition and party’s chief whip in the assembly, issued a whip directing all NCP MLAs to be present for Pawar’s meeting.
{{/usCountry}}In the rival faction, Ajit Pawar also held meetings with senior leaders and spoke on phone with MLAs, who have backed his decision to join the Maharashtra government led by chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis.
Ajit Pawar’s faction has already taken affidavits from legislators and senior office bearers loyal to him as part of his plan to claim control of NCP, a leader familiar with the matter said.
Even as Ajit Pawar was busy in Mumbai preparing for the crucial Wednesday meeting, Shinde and Fadnavis on Tuesday went to Nagpur to welcome President Droupadi Murmu, who is on her maiden Maharashtra visit after becoming the head of the state.
On Sunday, Ajit Pawar along with eight NCP MLAs took oath as ministers in the Sena-BJP government. Ajit faction, which has claimed to have support of majority of MLAs, needs backing of at least 36 of the party’s 55 legislators to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law.
Meanwhile, the conflict between the two factions spilled on to the streets in Nashik on Tuesday when office-bearers supporting Ajit Pawar reached the party office to take its possession. They faced strong resistance from those supporting senior Pawar. The Ajit Pawar faction could not take possession after they were informed the office is the property of Rashtrawadi Welfare Trust headed by Sharad Pawar.