18-19 NCP MLAs of Ajit Pawar camp to switch after Monsoon session, claims Rohit Pawar
The NCP split in July last year after Ajit Pawar and some other MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the state.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Rohit Pawar on Monday claimed that 18 to 19 MLAs of the ruling NCP led by Maharashtra deputy chief Minister Ajit Pawar will cross over to their side after the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature, reported PTI.
Rohit Pawar, the grandnephew of NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, said that there are several NCP MLAs who have never spoken ill against Sharad Pawar or other senior leaders after their party was split into two factions in July 2023.
“There are 18 to 19 (NCP) MLAs who are in touch with us and Pawar saheb and they will cross over to their side after the monsoon session,” the opposition legislator claimed.
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Sharad Pawar and other senior leaders of the faction will take a decision on whom to take back, the MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahmednagar district said.
"But they have to attend the legislature session and get development funds for their constituencies. So they will wait till the session ends (before making the switch over)," he added.
The monsoon session of the legislature will begin on June 27 and end on July 12. This will be the last session before the state heads for assembly elections which are due in October.
Split in NCP
The NCP split in July last year after Ajit Pawar and some other MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the state.
In February this year, the Election Commission declared the Ajit Pawar faction as the real Nationalist Congress Party and allotted the NCP symbol ‘clock’ to the group.
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The NCP (SP) of Sharad Pawar was later allotted the symbol of “man blowing turha” (a traditional trumpet) to contest polls.
The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) managed to retain their political ground as part of the 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' (MVA) alliance during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The alliance won 30 out of the state's 48 Lok Sabha seats- NCP (SP) bagged 8 seats while the Congress won 13 seats and the Shiv Sena (UBT) notched up nine seats in Maharashtra.
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