Ajit Pawar faction harps on legislative strength because it has no support in organisation: Awhad

On Monday, Praful Patel, a key leader of the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, had claimed his group had the support of 43 MLAs in Maharashtra as well as six out of nine Members of Legislative Council.Awhad, meanwhile, rejected Patels claim that the NCP as good as joined the BJP-led NDA in March when it extended support to the Nagaland government.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jitendra Awhad on Tuesday said the Ajit Pawar faction keeps stressing its hold on the legislative wing in the ongoing tussle to claim the party's control, as they know that they have no support in the organisation. Speaking at a news conference in the presence of party president Sharad Pawar, Awhad said the organisation stands firmly behind Pawar senior.

"They keep emphasising their legislative strength because they have no support in the organisation. A legislative party cannot be considered as a political party," he said, citing the Supreme Court's order on the split in the Shiv Sena. On Monday, Praful Patel, a key leader of the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, had claimed his group had the support of 43 MLAs in Maharashtra as well as six out of nine Members of Legislative Council.

Awhad, meanwhile, rejected Patel's claim that the NCP as good as joined the BJP-led NDA in March when it extended support to the Nagaland government. He said the NCP MLAs in Nagaland supported Neiphiu Rio, the Chief Minister of the northeastern state who belongs to the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), and not the Bharatiya Janata Party. The NDPP, notably, is a part of the NDA.

Patel had also said that key appointments prior to June 30 were not as per the Nationalist Congress Party's constitution, and hence, the only basis on which the Election Commission can decide which faction represents the party was the electoral majority.

Rejecting this contention, Awhad said Sharad Pawar was elected as party president and the party constitution empowers him to make appointments. The NCP split on July 2 after Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government. Since then, the Ajit Pawar faction and the group led by party founder Sharad Pawar have claimed that their respective faction represents the party. Both sides have filed petitions seeking disqualification of elected representatives from the other side.

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