New Delhi:
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, who extended support to the Bharatiya Janata Party to form government in Maharashtra, on Wednesday said that he continues to be in his party and that there is no reason 'to create' confusion about it. "I have already said that I was with NCP and I am with NCP. Have they expelled me? Have you heard or read this anywhere? I am still with NCP, Pawar said.
On his late Tuesday night visit to 'Silver Oak', his uncle and NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence, Ajit Pawar said, "It is my right to meet my leader."
Ajit Pawar: I have already said that I was with NCP and I am with NCP. Have they expelled me? Have you heard or read this anywhere? I am still with NCP pic.twitter.com/LChXrfEPkI
— ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2019
The NCP legislator, who won the October 21 state polls from Pune's Baramati seat with a margin of 1.65 lakh votes, shocked his party and family last Saturday after he joined hands with the BJP and became deputy chief minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government.
The NCP subsequently sacked him as its legislature unit leader the same day. However, he continues to be a member of the party.
Ajit Pawar on Tuesday resigned as Deputy CM citing "personal reason", following which Fadnavis too stepped down as chief minister, leading to collapse of the BJP-led government.
The development came after the Supreme Court ordered Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to prove his majority in the state assembly by Wednesday, a day after hearing a petition challenging formation of the BJP government there.
The Congress-Shiv Sena-NCP combine had challenged the way BJP leader Fadnavis was sworn in as chief minister and NCP's Ajit Pawar as deputy chief minister on Saturday morning, and demanded an immediate floor test.
Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant said the Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena combine will be able to prove its majority in the assembly.
"The midnight move by the BJP to form a government in Maharashtra was an insult of the Constitution. We have always maintained that those who have majority should form the government. We have the majority 100 per cent.
In its reaction, the BJP said the floor test will establish the position of different parties in its entirety. Its national spokesperson Nalin Kohli also rejected the contention that the Supreme Court order was a 'setback' for the BJP, asserting that no judicial pronouncement on issues of the Constitution can be a setback to any political party.
