MLAs’ disqualification: Ajit Pawar has 41 legislators’ support, Sharad Pawar just 11

Names of those who presently stand with Sharad Pawar are Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad, Rohit Pawar, Anil Deshmukh, Rajesh Tope, Balasaheb Patil, Sandip Kshirsagar, Sunil Bhusara, Sumantai Patil, Prajkt Tanpure and Ashok Pawar.

NCP has 53 MLAs out of which 41 are with Ajit while 11 are with Sharad Pawar.

Nawab Malik, the NCP MLA who was recently released on bail has not been served with the disqualification notice either. However, he has not declared his political stand yet.

On September 7, Sharad-led NCP submitted a third letter – signed by MLA Jitendra Awhad – naming 11 more MLAs requesting Speaker Rahul Narwekar to disqualify them. This was in addition to the 29 names already submitted. “Yes, we have submitted the letter to the Speaker,” Awhad told The Indian Express.

He said that the first list was submitted of nine NCP MLAs – who were sworn in as ministers on July 2 – on that same day to Narwekar seeking their disqualification. Later, another letter signed by NCP state president Jayant Patil with 20 more names was submitted. The party had then named four MLCs as well, which are Satish Chavan, Vikram Kale, Aniket Tatkare and Amol Mitkari. In Awhad’s letter, the party named another MLC, Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar.

Ajit group has approached the Election Commission staking claim over the party name and symbol of the NCP. The EC had sought reply from the Sharad Pawar group regarding the same. According to sources within the Sharad Pawar group, it had sought extension of nearly 14 days to submit its reply.

“It was to give additional time to 11 MLAs before submitting their names in the disqualification petition. Their names were added after they chose to side by Ajit Pawar,” a leader from Sharad Pawar group said.