Amol Kolhe said he had decided to stand with Sharad Pawar.
Actor and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Amol Kolhe, who attended the swearing-in ceremony of Ajit Pawar as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Sunday, has expressed his loyalty to party chief Sharad Pawar and said he was not happy with mutiny against the veteran leader.
Mr Kolhe, who represents Shirur Lok Sabha constituency, had tweeted the following evening that he was with Sharad Pawar and would abide by his decision. He also said that there were many others in the party who felt the same way and were unhappy with Ajit Pawar's move to join hands with the BJP.
"If this continues, it would be an injustice to our voters and workers who have given us their trust and support. We expect more people to join us soon," Mr Kolhe told NDTV on Wednesday.
He said that he did not want to name or blame anyone for the party split, and that everyone had their own stand. "Just because of one decision that I didn't like, I won't name-call the other faction. They took their stand, I took mine," he said.
He added that he and his supporters would tour across Maharashtra and interact with the common people to seek their opinion and feedback. "You speak with the common man, they are supporting us. They know who is right and who is wrong," Mr Kolhe said.
The MP had earlier confessed to being "restless" over the developments within the NCP and said he had even considered resignation. However, after seeking guidance from Sharad Pawar, he resolved to remain with the party and champion the cause of democracy.
After announcing his loyalty to Sharad Pawar on Monday, Mr Kolhe tweeted, "Jab dil aur dimag mein jung ho toh dil ki suno (listen to your heart in battle between heart and mind)."
With eight other MLAs in tow, Ajit Pawar had walked over to the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance that rules Maharashtra on Sunday and signed up as Deputy Chief Minister. On Wednesday, he won a show of hands against his 83-year-old uncle and has filed to be recognised as the real NCP with the support of most of the party's 53 legislators.