In Meet At Ajit Pawar House, Discussion On Power-Sharing Formula: 10 Points

Maharashtra Political Crisis: BJP sources have said Ajit Pawar claims to have the backing of over 40 of NCP’s total 53 MLAs in the state assembly.

New Delhi/Mumbai: Ajit Pawar yesterday led a vertical split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) by joining the Maharashtra government as the Deputy Chief Minister, plunging the party -founded by Sharad Pawar 24 years ago – into a crisis.

Here are the top 10 updates on Ajit Pawar’s big switch

1. Sources say a meeting is underway at Ajit Pawar’s home to discuss the power-sharing formula. “A discussion is being held regarding allocation of ministries to Ajit Pawar and the eight NCP MLAs who have switched to the Shinde-led government,” sources said.
2. The NCP has submitted a petition to the Speaker of the Maharashtra assembly, Rahul Narvekar, seeking the disqualification of Ajit Pawar and eight other party leaders who took oath as ministers in the Shiv Sena-BJP government yesterday.
3. “The very act of these MLAs of going to the Governor of Maharashtra, and taking oath as Deputy Chief Minister and ministers in the government led by Eknath Shinde – which is strongly opposed by the NCP – amounts to voluntarily giving up membership of the NCP political party,” the 22-page disqualification petition said.
4. The party has also written to the Election Commission of India (EC) conveying that Sharad Pawar, who founded the NCP in 1999, continues to head the party and that there is no change in the leadership. They also urged the poll body to hear them before acting upon on any request from Ajit Pawar’s camp.
5.  Ajit Pawar, who appeared at a press conference with Praful Patel, a senior NCP leader who was made working president by Sharad Pawar about a month ago, has claimed he has the support of practically the entire party. He also staked claim to the party’s name and symbol, much like Chief Minister Eknath Shinde after the split in Shiv Sena.
6. For Ajit Pawar, the next move should be to move the Election Commission and prove that he is the original NCP. BJP sources have said that Ajit Pawar claims to have the backing of over 40 of NCP’s total 53 MLAs in the state assembly. 
7. Reacting to the nephew’s big switch, Sharad Pawar said he would build new leadership in the party. He, however, maintained “There is no problem in the family.” “There’s no problem in the family. We don’t discuss politics in the family. Everyone takes their own decision,” Mr Pawar said.
8. The Party’s working president Supriya Sule, who is also the daughter of Sharad Pawar, said the developments in the party will not impact the Opposition’s unity. She also said that Ajit Pawar may have different views, but she will “always love him as a sister.” “I can never have a fight with my brother,” Ms Sule told the media.
9. The Congress indicated that they are standing with Sharad Pawar as they watch the evolving situation in Maharashtra. Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan asserted that Sharad Pawar, one of the most astute politicians in the country, will put up a fight – at least in the people’s court. He has also called a meeting of its legislators in an apparent effort to keep its flock together.
10. NCP suffered a vertical split yesterday after Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra – a post he will share with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis. Eight other NCP MLAs, including staunch Sharad Pawar loyalists like Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil, were also made ministers.