Sharad Pawar-led NCP issues whip to all MLAs to attend July 5 meeting in Mumbai

A day ahead of the key meeting in Mumbai, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP on Tuesday issued a whip to all MLAs asking them to remain present. The one-line whip issued by chief whip Jitendra Awhad said the meeting has been convened by Sharad Pawar at 1 pm at YB Chavan Centre on July 5 and the presence of all MLAs is mandatory.

Pawar had named Awhad as chief whip of the Nationalist Congress Party after Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government with eight MLAs on Sunday. Notably, the Ajit Pawar group will also hold a separate meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday.

The Ajit Pawar camp had asked the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to disqualify state NCP president Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from membership of the House. NCP working president Praful Patel, who is sacked from the party by Sharad Pawar, on Monday appointed Ajit Pawar as the leader of the NCP legislature party, while Anil Bhaidas Patil, who took oath as a minister on Sunday, will continue to be the party whip in the Assembly.

The NCP led by Pawar had moved a petition before Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar seeking the disqualification of Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who have taken oath as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led government. The NCP has 53 MLAs in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

READ | Thackeray faction moves Supreme Court, seeks disqualification pleas against Eknath Shinde, his MLAs