NCP, Sena, Cong struggle to keep its flock together

With eight Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs still untraceable and the threat of poaching looming large, the three-party alliance of NCP, Shiv Sena and Congress

With eight Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs still untraceable and the threat of poaching looming large, the three-party alliance of NCP, Shiv Sena and Congress is struggling to keep its flock together and consolidating the numbers to defeat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the floor test. The three-party combine claimed that it has the support of over 165 MLAs.

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The Sena-NCP-Congress alliance on Saturday moved the Supreme Court (SC) challenging the Governor’s decision to invite Devendra Fadnavis to form the state government. The SC is expected to deliver its judgment on the floor test of the Fadnavis-led government on Monday.

In the recently held Assembly polls, 56 Sena MLAs, 54 NCP MLAs and 44 Congress legislators were elected. After NCP’s legislative party leader, Ajit Pawar, defected to support BJP and was sworn in as the deputy chief minister, around eight of the party’s MLAs have become untraceable. The NCP said five of its MLAs are not with them, but that they were expected to return soon.

Sena and Congress said all their MLAs are together and there will be no defection from their parties. Leaders from both parties fear defection only from NCP if the party fails to bring back Ajit Pawar.

The three parties have kept their MLAs at different hotels in Mumbai to avoid poaching. Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday morning claimed that apart from “five untraceable NCP MLAs”, the three-party alliance has the support of 165 MLAs. Congress leader Ashok Chavan, meanwhile, alleged the BJP was trying to poach their legislators. “Our MLAs are being contacted by BJP over the phone. BJP leaders are booking rooms in the hotel where we have kept our MLAs. Sena, Congress and NCP MLAs are united and there will be no defection,” Chavan said.

The three-party alliance said that most of the 13 Independents elected this time are with them. They also are counting on eight more members of smaller parties such as Peasants and Workers Party, Communist Party of India, Prahar Janshakti and Swabhimani Sanghatana for support during the floor test. However, a few of them are likely to be compelled by BJP to change their loyalties, leaders from the alliance feel. “There will be no more defection from any of the parties from the alliance as the uproar against the MLAs who had gone with Ajit Pawar was witnessed by entire state. They have seen how NCP MLA Sanjay Bansode was brought back by Sena leaders. The discontent among people against Ajit Pawar loyalists such as Dhananjay Munde and Sandeep Kshirsagar was a lesson,” said a Congress leader.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar briefed his legislators at Hotel Renaissance in Powai on Sunday. The party’s legislators were later shifted to Grand Hyatt, Santacruz. “Pawarsaheb talked to the legislators and told them the next strategy will be adopted depending on the SC judgment. We will defeat the government in the floor test. There will be a Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government,” said NCP leader Nawab Malik. He said around 48 to 50 legislators are with NCP currently. “The four who have been kept by the BJP [at undisclosed locations] are in regular touch with us. They will definitely come on the voting day,” he said.

Meanwhile, to build confidence among legislators from the three parties and boost unity among them, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray visited Hotel Renaissance where Sena MLAs have been kept.