Maharashtra Political Crisis: Ajit Pawar To Inaugurate NCP's New Office In Mumbai

Mumbai: Days after joining the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra, state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will shortly inaugurate a new Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) party office near Mantralaya in Mumbai on Tuesday. Ajit Pawar had claimed that the entire NCP was on his side.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Ajit Pawar group leader Praful Patel on Monday in a joint conference announced that Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare has been appointed as the new State President of the party in Maharashtra. During a joint conference, the NCP leader Patel announced, "We are relieving Jayant Patil of his responsibilities and in his place, I am appointing Sunil Tatkare as Maharashtra President of Nationalist Congress Party. Sunil Tatkare will have the authority to make organizational changes in the party."

He further said that Ajit Pawar has been unanimously elected as the leader of the legislature party. "Ajit Pawar has been unanimously elected as the leader of the legislature party. We have informed Maharashtra Assembly Speaker about our decision. Anil Bhaidas Patil has been appointed as the chief whip of NCP in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. We request him (Sharad Pawar) with folded hands to give us his blessings as he is our guru", Patel had said.

During the press briefing, the newly elected party state president Sunil Tatkare said he will strengthen the party in Maharashtra. "I have taken over as the State president of the Nationalist Congress Party. I will strengthen the party in Maharashtra. I have taken into confidence all leaders of the party. I have also called a meeting of all the legislators and zila parishad leaders", Sunil Tatkare had said.

Maharashtra politics will be interesting to watch in the coming days, as NCP chief Sharad Pawar has called a meeting on July 5 in Mumbai in which all MPs and MLAs are asked to remain present. Ajit Pawar has also called a meeting on the same day at another venue, and he has also called all NCP leaders, including all MLAs, and MLCs. The interesting thing is what Ajit Pawar and his supporting MLAs will do.