While the competing coalition led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has also convened a separate gathering of party lawmakers here, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP has issued a whip to all MLAs requesting that they stay present for a crucial meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday.
The meeting has been convened by Sharad Pawar for 1 pm on July 5 at the Y B Chavan Center, and everyone’s attendance is required, according to the one-line whip issued on Tuesday by Jitendra Awhad, top whip of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP.
After his nephew Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition on Sunday, Pawar senior designated Awhad as chief whip.
The Ajit Pawar campaign also sent out an invitation to all current and former lawmakers, parliamentarians, office holders, working committee members, and others on Tuesday, inviting them to a meeting that would be held on Wednesday at the premises of the MET institute in suburban Bandra and hosted by Sunil Tatkare, the group’s choice for president of the Maharashtra unit.
Shivajirao Garje, who was kicked out of the Sharad Pawar-led party for “engaging in anti-party activities,” issued the notification.
The Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad campaigns for Ajit Pawar have urged Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to remove them from their positions as legislators.
Anil Bhaidas Patil, who took oath as a minister on Sunday, would continue to be the party whip in the Assembly. Sharad Pawar ousted former NCP working president Praful Patel from the party and replaced him with Ajit Pawar on Monday.
Sharad Pawar’s NCP has filed a petition with Speaker Narwekar asking for Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs to be removed from their positions as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led administration.
53 members of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly are members of the NCP.