Rajasthan assembly elections 2023: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday (July 2), referring to the NCP split today, slammed Congress and asked if it was right that the grand old party defected four MLAs of his party in Bihar.
"Opposition meeting was held in Patna and Praful Patel, whom Sharad Pawar had brought to the meeting, went and joined BJP today. Despite this, Congress distributes certificates of secularism. Congress should peep into its own backyard and see how they have cheated. Today every leader of the opposition party is crying in the media that the BJP broke the NCP. If 40 MLAs (of NCP) left today then it is wrong, and if you bought our 4 MLAs in Bihar then is it right? If you do, it's good and if others do, it's wrong?" Owaisi said in a public meeting in Rajasthan's Jaipur.
In a move that came as a surprise on Sunday afternoon, Ajit Pawar took oath as a Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, while eight MLAs of his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) took oath as ministers.
According to sources, Ajit Pawar has the backing of 40 NCP MLAs which is nearly 75 per cent of the total number of legislators the party has in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Sources further said that six out of the nine party MLCs are extending support to Ajit Pawar’s surprising move. This accounts for over 65 per cent of the MLCs in the Upper House of the state.
Can NCP sustain the blow?
According to sources, most of the NCP MLAs and MLCs have extended support to Ajit Pawar.
Maharashtra minister Uday Samant claimed that the strength of the government has now increased from 170 to 210 seats in the 288-seated Legislative Assembly.
“Ajit Pawar decided to support our alliance. Now our strength has increased from 170 to 210. 40 MLAs of (NCP) are coming,” he said.
Given that NCP has 53 MLAs and 9 MLCs in total, and most of them exiting the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, of which NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Congress are participants, Sharad Pawar has few MLAs and MLCs left at his disposal to stand his party on.
However, the party workers, who once protested emotionally compelling Sharad Pawar to retreat on his resignation decision, may still be with the party supremo with equal zeal and enthusiasm.
(With ANI inputs)
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