In a significant setback to rebel Ajit Pawar, NCP MP Amol Kolhe, has pledged his support to the party supremo Sharad Pawar, a day after joining hands with the Shinde-Fadnavis-Pawar government.
“I attended the swearing-in ceremony yesterday, but it is my conscience that has guided this decision. I will be meeting Pawar saheb tomorrow,” the actor-turned-politician said.
“When there is a war between mind and heart, listen to your heart. Perhaps the mind sometimes forgets morality… but the heart never…I’m with Saheb,” Kolhe said in a tweet.
Sharad Pawar today said many leaders from Ajit Pawar’s camp called him and said that their ideology was not different from that of NCP “and they will take a final call in the next few days”.
Ajit Pawar on Sunday joined hands with the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra to become the Deputy Chief Minister, a move that could undermine party supremo Sharad Pawar and dent efforts for Opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister by Governor Ramesh Bais at a ceremony held in the Raj Bhawan in Mumbai. Eight other NCP leaders took oath as ministers in the Shinde-Fadnavis government.
The NCP has moved a petition before Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, seeking the disqualification of Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who took oath as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led government.
Meanwhile Sharad Pawar expelled rebel MPs Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel from the NCP for anti-party activities.
“As the National President, Nationalist Congress Party hereby order removal of the names of MPs Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel from the Register of Members of NCP Party for anti-party activities,”Pawar said.
