After Ajit Pawar’s rebellion, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar was hurt, but initially decided not to take legal action as he was confident that Ajit would return. Later, as he realised that Ajit won’t be back, the Pawar faction started to take legal action against Ajit’s group, who called themselves the NCP, and joined hands with Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis (Bharatiya Janata Party) to make the current state government stronger. This battle has now reached the Supreme Court (SC) and Election Commission of India (ECI).
On Monday, the Apex court issued a notice on a petition filed by the Pawar faction, seeking a direction to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker to expeditiously decide on the petitions seeking disqualification of deputy CM Ajit Pawar and seven other MLAs under the anti-defection law.
The SC will hear this matter coming Friday, along with a similar case the Shiv Sena has filed.
‘PAWAR SR APPOINTED UNDEMOCRATICALLY’; ‘WHY WAS HE QUIET FOR SO LONG?’
Ajit, who had never rebelled against Pawar till now, has levelled charges against him in the petition filed in the court of ECI. He has claimed that Pawar’s appointment as the party president was not done democratically and proper procedure was not followed. According to sources, he has also alleged that one person can’t decide everything in the party.
Pawar has, in turn, asked why Ajit remained silent on the appointments when he was in the party, and also questioned why the Ajit faction has not clearly disclosed how many MLAs are supporting them.
The NCP fight is going on the lines of Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena. Both the factions of the NCP are fighting for the name and party symbol. Interestingly, both the factions of the NCP are of the opinion that there is no split in the party and the two factions just have differences.
5 MLAs SEEN WITH PAWAR SR, BUT THEIR AFFIDAVITS ARE WITH AJIT CAMP
Another interesting factor is the Ajit Pawar group has the support of 43 MLAs, but five MLAs and a few MPs, who are with Sharad Pawar, too, have given affidavit of support to Ajit, according to sources in the Ajit camp. These include two MLAs from western Maharashtra, two MLAs from north Maharashtra and one MLA from Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
NO ED RELIEF FOR MUSHRIF DESPITE JOINING GOVT
In the political corridors of Maharashtra, it’s an open secret now that Ajit Pawar and his MLAs joined the Shinde-Fadnavis govt because of the fear of Central agencies, and not just for the development agenda of PM Narendra Modi. Leaders such as Chhagan Bhujbal had faced the heat of Central agencies, whereas Praful Patel and Hasan Mushrif are facing it. The central agencies had even conducted raids on Ajit’s relatives.
According to a political analyst, the aim of joining the ‘Mahayuti’ was to keep central agencies at bay. In the current scenario, it seems this move has not worked out for a few leaders of the Ajit faction.
Leader and cabinet minister Mushrif is facing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case related to sugar mills controlled by him in Kolhapur district of western Maharashtra. The ED is probing the charge of cheating farmers, which BJP leader Kirit Somaiyya had levelled against Mushrif. Local BJP leader Samarjitsingh Ghatge, the arch rival of Mushrif, is following up on this case, adding to troubles for Mushrif, despite joining the government.
The Ajit camp is questioning when the party fight will end and what will be the future of their faction, as Pawar has made it clear that no one from the camp will get a place in his party.
Leaders of the Ajit camp know that the coming election will not be easy for them to face, as there is a feeling of betrayal in the minds of people as all these leaders had won on anti-BJP votes.
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