Amid Ajit Pawar's NCP Control Push, Loyalist MLAs Moved To A Hotel

Ajit Pawar took oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister on Sunday.

After two mega meets by NCP's Sharad Pawar and rebel Ajit Pawar, the fight for the party's name has now reached the doors of the Election Commission. Ajit Pawar's camp approached EC claiming that they have the backing of majority of the party's MLAs.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, with the backing of 40 MLAs, MLCs, and MPs, has staked a claim for the Nationalist Congress Party name and symbol.

All the MLAs part of the Ajit Pawar faction are being kept at a Mumbai hotel, even though their signed affidavits have been submitted to the EC.

Sources in the Election Commission said according to the rebels' letter, they had named Ajit Pawar as party president on June 30 -- days before his shock move of crossing over to the ruling alliance.

During his speech, Ajit Pawar said he aspires to become the Chief Minister and asked his uncle when he plans to retire. "In other parties, leaders retire after an age. In BJP, leaders retire at 75, when are you going to stop? You should also give new people a chance. If we make mistakes, tell us. Your age is 83, will you ever stop or not?" Ajit Pawar, 63, said.

The two NCP factions held separate meetings in Mumbai on Wednesday, where Ajit Pawar outplayed his uncle with only 13 of the party's legislators attending Sharad Pawar's meeting.

As many as 32 of the 53 NCP legislators attended the meeting called by the Ajit Pawar group, while 14 MLAs were present at the conclave addressed by Sharad Pawar.

Lagging in the numbers game, Sharad Pawar has called for a meeting in New Delhi, which will also be attended by NCP working president and MP Supriya Sule.

Ajit Pawar's entry into the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra as the Deputy Chief Minister last week has sent the NCP into firefighting mode.

The move has also generated great discomfort among the Shiv Sena MLAs supporting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The Chief Minister cancelled all his appointments and called an urgent party meeting at his official residence yesterday evening. Sources said the MLAs are objecting to the alliance, pointing out that Sena founder Bal Thackeray would never have associated with the Nationalist Congress Party.