NCP split: Party workers protest against Jayant Patil, Awhad in Thane

Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the NCP on Sunday and joined the Eknath Shinde government along with eight MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil.

Thane:Nationalist Congress Party workers owing allegiance to Ajit Pawar held a protest against Maharashtra unit chief Jayant Patil and MLA Jitendra Awhad in Thane on Monday. Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the NCP on Sunday and joined the Eknath Shinde government along with eight MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil.

The protesters gathered in front of the state circuit house here and hit posters of Patil and Awhad, who the party seeks to make as leader of opposition in the Assembly, with slippers.The protesters said they were retaliating to a section of party workers blackening the face of Pawar on a poster.

Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday disqualified nine MLAs including Ajit Pawar, who were sworn in as ministers in the Shinde-Fadnavis government on July 2, for indulging in anti-party activities. The NCP moved a disqualification petition against the nine MLAs to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar.

"The State Discipline Committee passed a resolution dated 2 July 2023 recorded the factum of disqualification of the said 9 (nine) MLAs from the party due to their indulgence in anti-party activities," the letter served to the nine disqualified MLAs said.

Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal along with Dilip Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Mundo, Dharmaraobaba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode and Anil Patil joined Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government on Sunday.

"It is recorded that the fact these defections were done in such a secretive manner, without the knowledge or consent of the Party President, amounts to desertion of the party which in turn invites disqualification," the letter said.

"The Party has therefore initiated appropriate proceedings for formal disqualification of these MLAs from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly under the 10 per cent Schedule of the Constitution of India," the letter said further.