Sacking spree in NCP to wrest control
New Delhi, July 3
In further dramatic twists to Maharashtra politics, the breakaway NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar on Monday claimed control of the party and its symbol, the clock, in a replay of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena split of June 30, 2022, even as party founder Sharad Pawar expelled five rebels, including MPs Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare.
What law says on MPs expelled from party
- There is no automatic disqualification from Parliament under Tenth Schedule (Anti-defection)
- The law says a member will continue as an unattached MP as per the direction of the Speaker
- An MP will attract action under anti-defection law (subject to Speaker’s decision) if he joins new party
After holding power-sharing talks with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis this morning, the Ajit-led group sacked Jayant Patil as the NCP state chief, replacing him with Tatkare and named Ajit the legislature party chief.
The Number game
- If Ajit Pawar’s claim of 36 NCP MLAs backing him is true, BJP-Sena regime will have support of 181 in the 288-member House
- The BJP has 105 MLAs and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena 40
- Speaker is yet to rule on the disqualification petitions of 16 Sena MLAs, including Shinde
Apart from this, both factions filed separate petitions seeking disqualification of MLAs from the other camp. While Sharad’s group wrote to Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar to disqualify nine NCP MLAs, including Ajit, who had crossed over to join the BJP-Shiv Sena government “attracting anti-defection law” provisions yesterday, Ajit’s group similarly asked the Speaker to disqualify Sharad camp legislators Jayant and Jitendra Awhad, claiming the party was with them.
Addressing a press conference today, Praful said notices against the NCP MLAs were not valid as the majority MLAs were with Ajit. “Today is Guru Purnima. Sharad Pawar should accept the majority decision of the NCP. We want his blessings,” said Praful, whom Sharad had named the NCP working president alongside daughter Supriya Sule recently. Importantly, when asked who the NCP chief was, Ajit quipped: “Sharad Pawar is the NCP chief, have you forgotten?”
Not backing Ajit: Sharad
This (that I am backing Ajit) is a mean thing to say. I have set out to tour Maharashtra and galvanise the cadre. Some of our people have fallen for BJP tactics to break other parties.
Sharad Pawar, NCP chief
With mystery over the roots of the coup lingering, Sharad today rejected suggestions that he had blessed the split and said, “Only people with mean thought and low intellect would say that. I am going to the people to rebuild the party and will continue to fight the communal forces.”
Despite bitterness any split would generate, the Pawar clan appeared at ease with one another all day with Supriya meeting her cousin Ajit and later saying: “What happened is painful, but my relationship with my elder brother will never change.” Sharad too remarked that all was well with the family and everyone could take their independent decisions.
Sule wrote to her father today demanding disqualification proceedings against Rajya Sabha MP Praful and Lok Sabha MP Tatkare under the provisions of the anti-defection law. It remains to be seen what view Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha chairpersons take on the two MPs’ disqualification request from the NCP as and when it came up. As the situation unfolds, both factions have called a meeting of MLAs on July 5, with Ajit claiming the support of two-thirds of the NCP MLAs36 of 53even as Sharad loyalists challenged the numbers.
Spotlight on Speaker
The latest developments have brought the spotlight back on the role of Speaker Rahul Narwekar. The NCP has invoked the anti-defection law to seek disqualification of the 9 MLAs.
