MUMBAI: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has filed a petition before Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar asking Ajit Pawar, who took oath as Deputy Chief Minister, and other party MLAs to take oath as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led state government. sought disqualification. According to sources, Jitendra Awhad sent the petition to Narvekar’s residence late on Sunday night. Awhad has been appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly by the NCP after Ajit Pawar joined the ruling coalition.
When contacted, Narvekar’s office confirmed receipt of the petition. NCP’s Maharashtra unit president Jayant Patil had said on Sunday that his party has filed a disqualification petition against Ajit Pawar and eight others.
He said an e-mail has also been sent to the Election Commission of India, informing that NCP leaders and workers are with party chief Sharad Pawar. The party founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999 faced a split on Sunday afternoon when his nephew Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government as deputy chief minister.
Sharad Pawar loyalists Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil are among eight other NCP MLAs who have joined the ruling coalition. Patil said these MLAs “cannot be called traitors as it is yet to be proved”. He said, “Many MLAs are in touch with us.
