Amid the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) crisis in Maharashtra, both the factions Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar camp has convened separate meetings in Mumbai today where a clear picture may emerge on the exact number of MLAs backing each group amid the contrasting claims.
A total of 13 MLAs, 3 MLCs and 5 MPs are present present at Sharad Pawar-led meeting at YB Chavan centre in Mumbai. The 13 MLAs include Anil Deshmukh, Rohit Pawar, Rajendra Shingne, Ashok Pawar, Kiran Lahmate, Prajakta Tanpure, Balasaheb Patil, Jitendra Awhad, Chetan Vithal Tupe, Jayant Patil, Rajesh Tope, Sandeep Kshirsagar and Devendra Bhuyar.
The 5 MPs include Srinivas Patil (Lok Sabha), Supriya Sule (Lok Sabha), Amol Kolhe (Lok Sabha), Fauzia Khan (Rajya Sabha) Vandana Chavan (Rajya Sabha) The 3 MLCs include Shashikant Shinde, Babajani Durani, Eknath Khadse
Meanwhile, 35 MLAs, 5 MLCs present at NCP meeting called by Ajit Pawar in Mumba Ajit Pawar, accompanied by fellow party leaders, hoisted the NCP flag at MET Bandra. In a surprise move on July 2nd NCP leader Ajit Pawar who was also the Maharashtra Leader of Opposition joined the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra and took oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister. The move by NCP chief Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar, which also saw eight other NCP MLAs joining the Shinde-Fadnavis government, came amid efforts by opposition parties to forge unity to take on the BJP in the next year's Lok Sabha polls.