NCP disqualifies 9 MLAs including Ajit for indulging in anti-party activities

MUMBAI: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday disqualified nine MLAs including Ajit Pawar, who were sworn in as ministers in the Shinde-Fadnavis government on July 2, for indulging in anti-party activities. The NCP moved a disqualification petition against the nine MLAs to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar.

"The State Discipline Committee passed a resolution dated 2 July 2023 recorded the factum of disqualification of the said 9 (nine) MLAs from the party due to their indulgence in anti-party activities," the letter served to the nine disqualified MLAs said. Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal along with Dilip Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Mundo, Dharmaraobaba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode and Anil Patil joined Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government on Sunday.

"It is recorded that the fact these defections were done in such a secretive manner, without the knowledge or consent of the Party President, amounts to desertion of the party which in turn invites disqualification," the letter said. "The Party has therefore initiated appropriate proceedings for formal disqualification of these MLAs from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly under the 10 per cent Schedule of the Constitution of India," the letter said further.

The letter also ordered the disqualified MLAs to refrain from misrepresenting before any forum that they have any association with the NCP Party. Any such act of misrepresentation would be absolutely unlawful and illegal. Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Minister on Sunday, July 2.

Eight other NCP leaders took oath as ministers. Hours after Ajit Pawar and some other Nationalist Congress Party leaders joined the Maharashtra government, party chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said, "This is not 'googly', it is a robbery" and that he was worried about the future of those who left the party. Talking to reporters after his nephew and eight other party leaders rebelled and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra, Pawar said he was not worried about what happened and will work to strengthen the party again. "This is not 'googly', it is a robbery. It is not a small thing," Sharad Pawar said.

"Some of my colleagues have taken a different stand. I had called a meeting of all the leaders on July 6, where some important issue was to be discussed and some changes were to be made within the party but before that meeting, some of the leaders have taken a different stand." Sharad Pawar said that in the next two-three days, they will sit with Congress and Uddhav Thackeray to access the situation. "Our main strength is the common people, they have elected us".

Sharad Pawar said he had dealt with splits earlier and rejuvenated the party. "This is not a new thing. The party I was leading in 1980 had 58 MLAs, later all left and only 6 MLAs left, but I strengthened the numbers and those who left me lost in their constituencies," he said. The former Maharashtra Chief Minister said he has been receiving calls from other opposition leaders including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over developments in Maharashtra. He said senior leaders will sit to decide about any action against the rebel leaders.

"We will work to strengthen the party again. MLAs and all senior leaders will sit together to decide about any action against the rebel leaders. Being the president, I had appointed Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare but they did not follow their responsibilities. Therefore, I have to take some action against them," he said.