INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
MUMBAI: The warring factions of NCP will have separate shows of strength in Mumbai on Wednesday to demonstrate that the bulk of party
legislators are with them.While the Sharad Pawar group has called a meet of MLAs and other party functionaries at 11 am at Y B Chavan Centre
at Nariman Point, deputy CM Ajit Pawarhas summoned all the legislators at 1 pm to the Mumbai Education Trust in Bandra, which is run by
NCP's cabinet member Chhagan Bhujbal.Read AlsoSidelined in party, Ajit Pawar's gameplan to take on uncle Sharad was in works for a yearAjit
Pawar had been drafting a strategy to take on Pawar and cousin Supriya for a year, sources said
five prominent faces in deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar's team, which includes him, are under the scanner of ED for separate money
laundering cases that range from bank loan fraud and corruption to fraudulent land transactions and also transactions linked to late drug
smuggler IqbalLoss of Praful Patel, his most trusted hand and crisis manager, personal blow to Sharad PawarThe switch made by Patel,
considered Sharad Pawar's most trusted ally, one who has never taken a political decision without his mentor's knowledge, is being viewed as
a personal setback for the NCP president
"I am not upset with anybody except Praful Patel and Tatkare," said Pawar.A senior leader of theAjit group told TOI that 42 MLAs have signed
affidavits in support of Ajit Pawar.Senior Pawar's faction issues whip to all 53 MLAs, Ajit too invites allThe warring factions of NCP will
have separate shows of strength in Mumbai on Wednesday
A senior leader of the Ajit group told TOI that 42 MLAs have signed affidavits in support of Ajit Pawar and "by Wednesday, two or three more
legislators will sign affidavits." The leader said the group had contacted most legislators and they had assured the netas that they would
attend.On the other side, Jeetendra Awhad, named as chief whip by Pawar Senior's group, has issued a whip making it mandatory for all the 53
NCP MLAs to attend the meeting, failing which stern disciplinary action will be taken against them
Awhad confirmed to TOI that he had issued the whip.03:58'Sharad Pawar is NCP president...':Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar on NCP
SymbolJayant Patil, state president of the NCP's Sharad Pawar group, said they have issued notices to 44 party MLAs asking them to attend
The nine legislators who took oath as ministers in the Shinde-Fadnavis government on Sunday have not been asked to be there.Patil said,
"Barring the nine who took oath, all the other MLAs are with us
Wait for Wednesday, then we will know the actual strength of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP
My office telephoned all the 44 legislators, sent them emails and WhatsApp messages
We ensured each of those legislators has been contacted and has received the message well in advance
We expect them to attend the crucial meeting and express their solidarity with NCP founder Sharad Pawar, who will guide us on the current
political situation." Apart from sitting legislators, Patil said, notices have also been sent to former legislators, former and present Lok
Sabha and Rajya members, state office-bearers, all district presidents and district observers, tehsil/block presidents and all heads of
frontal organizations and state/district heads of various cells to attend the meeting
It is likely that at the meeting, the group may take a pledge from party legislators and members that they support the leadership of NCP
invited all the NCP members of the legislative assembly and the council, members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
At that meeting, a resolution will be passed for the ratification of Ajit Pawar's leadership
"Ajit Pawar had already declared that he represents the real NCP, and most of the legislators are with him," a leader from the Ajit faction
Elaborate arrangements have been made by the Sharad Pawar group for the Y B Chavan Centre gathering, sources said.Ajit Pawar had on Sunday
submitted a letter to governor Ramesh Bais stating that he had the support of 40 NCP MLAs
Two of the legislators who had earlier said they were with Ajit Pawar - Satara MLA Makrand Patil and North Karad MLA Balasaheb Patil -
returned to Sharad Pawar's camp on Monday, along with Shirur MP Amol Kolhe.06:54Not 'googly', it is a robbery, Sharad Pawar on Ajit Pawar
joining NDANCP split will strengthen opposition unity, says CongressCongress on Tuesday said the developments in Maharashtra following the
split in NCP will strengthen the opposition unity, arguing that people have not liked the "ED-sponsored government" in the state and the
"use of agencies" by the Centre to destabilise the political rivals.Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said Prime Minister Narendra
Modi accused NCP of corruption running into Rs 70,000 crore and also mentioned the irrigation scam, and within two days, the former
irrigation minister (Ajit Pawar) has become the deputy CM alongside Devendra Fadnavis."They were at each other's throats earlier
But now they have become good friends
What do they have to say about corruption now? The BJP washing machine has started working in Maharashtra
Pwar: Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar and NCP chief Sharad Pawar call party meeting on same day
