Sharad Pawar Calls Big Meeting, Will Tour Constituencies Of NCP Defectors

Both factions of the crisis hit Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have called big meetings on Wednesday to tally numbers and keep their flock together. 

While newly-appointed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has called all MLAs, district presidents, and regional chiefs at 11 am in Mumbai's Bandra, NCP patriarch and Ajit Pawar's uncle Sharad Pawar has also called all party leaders for a meeting at 1 pm to Yashwantrao Chavan Centre Auditorium in Mumbai's Nariman Point.

Ajit Pawar's camp claims the support of 42 out of the party's 53 MLAs. However, the claim had many MLAs alleging that they unwittingly gave their signatures without knowing the purpose.

Sharad Pawar camp hasn't yet mentioned any figure so far, though leaders have claimed the defectors are only a few and the party stands firmly behind the NCP chief.

Sharad Pawar will start a tour of the state from Nashik on July 8 to shore up support.

Pawar senior will visit Pune, Solapur, Nashik, Beed, and some parts of the Vidarbha region -- constituencies of Chagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Mundem and other rebel MLAs.

Sharad Pawar, 82, has launched what he calls his mission to rebuild the party from the ground up. He is also seeking legal opinion to tackle the crisis in the party caused by his nephew Ajit Pawar joining the Shiv Sena-BJP government and claiming the support of the bulk of MLAs, news agency PTI reported quoting party sources.

The NCP had moved a petition before Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar seeking the disqualification of Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who have taken oath as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led government. Mr Narwekar is yet to decide on a similar disqualification request from Uddhav Thcakeray-led Shiv Sena against Eknath Shinde and his supporter Sena MLAs.

A day earlier, the NCP chief removed the party's working president Praful Patel and general secretary Sunil Tatkare for engaging in "anti-party" activities after they attended the swearing-in ceremony of Ajit Pawar.

The Ajit Pawar camp has asked the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to disqualify Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from membership of the House.

Rahul Narwekar earlier today told NDTV that he will take a fair decision after going through everything soon. Mr Narwekar clarified that he doesn't have any letter from any faction where they are saying they are a separate faction. Both Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar have claimed the entire party is with them.