Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday arrived in Delhi to chair the party's national executive meeting amid the ongoing political turmoil in Maharashtra.
NCP leaders begin arriving in Delhi after a “key meet” was called by the party chief on Thursday at his residence.
13 NCP leaders, including PC Chacko, Jitendra Awhad, Fauzia Khan, Vandana Chavan and more are attending the meeting.
Sharad left for the national capital on Thursday morning to attend the crucial gathering a day after losing the majority of his legislators to his nephew Ajit Pawar. This comes after on Wednesday the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Ajit Pawar held separate meetings with their MLAs in Mumbai.
The meeting in Delhi assumes significance as Ajit has staked a claim on the NCP and Pawar will have to be prepared for a long legal battle. The national executive committee is expected to take a few decisions to make sure that Ajit fails in taking over the control of the NCP.
Meanwhile, Ajit is likely to hold talks with chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over portfolio allocations that have been pending for five days now since Ajit was sworn in as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.
Earlier this morning, Ajit met Union minister Ramdas Athawale and would meet other leaders who are willing to extend their support to him.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier this morning, Ajit met Union minister Ramdas Athawale and would meet other leaders who are willing to extend their support to him.
{{/usCountry}}The two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions held meetings on Wednesday in a bid to stake claim over the majority of 53 party MLAs.
On Wednesday, Ajit held a meeting with the party MLAs at Taj Lands End in Mumbai to reassure them that they had taken the right call by siding with him.
“We have most of the MLAs with us. Many of the MLAs are in touch with us and even those who were present for (Sharad) Pawar Saheb’s meeting are ready to come with us,” he told the party legislators.
He also asked the MLAs to submit the list of development works that were either pending with the state government for approval or have been staying in the last year since the change in government.
He assured his MLAs that their work would be expedited now that he was deputy chief minister.
Meanwhile, Sharad while addressing the party workers on Wednesday said, “In all the party meetings that are happening today, my portrait is there. Even in the Mumbai meeting, they (Ajit Pawar faction) have put up my portrait. They know that nothing can happen without me.”
Sharad, who founded the party 24 years ago, said that nothing can happen without him.
As many as 29 of 53 NCP MLAs were present at the party meeting convened by Ajit Pawar, while the Sharad Pawar camp appeared to have 17 legislators.