In a major setback to Ajit Pawar, senior Maharashtra Congress leader Ashok Pawar on Wednesday joined back Sharad Pawar's camp. Ajit Pawar faction is holding meeting in Bandra while Sharad Pawar faction is holding meeting at Nariman Point today.
The Ajit Pawar faction has called all the MPs and MLA-MLCs, while the Sharad Pawar faction has called the district, taluka and block level party presidents apart from MPs and MLAs.
Both the factions have also invited leaders of other factions to attend their respective meetings. Supriya Sule has issued a video message urging Sharad Pawar to attend the meeting.
Sharad Pawar-led NCP issues whip to all MLAs
The rival group led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has also called a separate meeting of party legislators in Mumbai, while the Sharad Pawar-led NCP has issued a whip to all MLAs requesting that they attend a crucial meeting on Wednesday in Mumbai.
The one-line whip gave on Tuesday by Jitendra Awhad, chief whip of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, said the meeting has been called by Sharad Pawar at 1 pm at Y B Chavan Center on July 5, and the presence of all MLAs is compulsory.
After Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government on Sunday, Pawar senior appointed Awhad as chief whip.
The Ajit Pawar camp likewise given a notification on Tuesday to all current and previous officials, parliamentarians, office-conveyors, working board of trustees individuals and others, requesting that they go to a gathering met by Sunil Tatkare, the Maharashtra unit president appointed by the group, at the MET institute's premises in Bandra on Wednesday.
Shivajirao Garje, who was kicked out of the party led by Sharad Pawar for "indulging in anti-party activities," served the notice.
The Ajit Pawar camp has asked Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to disqualify state NCP president Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad as MLAs.
Anil Bhaidas Patil, who took oath as a minister on Sunday, will continue to be the party whip in the Assembly. NCP working president Praful Patel, who was fired from the party by Sharad Pawar, appointed Ajit Pawar as leader of the NCP legislature party on Monday.
The NCP, led by Sharad Pawar, has filed a petition with Speaker Narwekar to remove Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs from their positions as ministers in the government led by Eknath Shinde.
The NCP has 53 MLAs in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
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