Lagatar24 Desk
Mumbai, July 3: Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who have taken an oath of office as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led government are being sought out for disqualification, according to a plea brought before Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
According to sources, Jitendra Awhad personally presented the petition to Narwekar’s apartment late on Sunday night after the NCP declared him leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly after Ajit Pawar joined the ruling alliance.
When contacted, Narwekar’s office acknowledged receiving the petition.
On Sunday, Maharashtra NCP President Jayant Patil said that his party had filed a petition to remove Ajit Pawar and eight other individuals from office.
He stated that a message alerting the Election Commission of India that the NCP’s rank and file were with party leader Sharad Pawar had also been conveyed via email.
Sharad Pawar’s 1999-founded party saw a vertical split on Sunday after his nephew Ajit Pawar defected and became the deputy chief minister of the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition.
Eight additional NCP MLAs, including staunch Sharad Pawar supporters Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil, were given the position of ministers.
These MLAs “cannot be called traitors as their betrayal has not yet been proven,” Patil said.
“Many are in touch with us,” he added.
