Maharashtra MLA Rohit Pawar insisted on Monday that 18 to 19 NCP legislators in the state were currently in talks with Sharad Pawar. He claimed that the politicians were waiting to attend the Monsoon Session of the Assembly before crossing over in order to secure development funds for their constituencies. The assertion comes mere days after Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut claimed that legislators belonging to the Eknath Shinde camp were in touch with his party.
“There are 18 to 19 (NCP) MLAs who are in touch with us and Pawar saheb. They will cross over to their side after the monsoon session…they have to attend the legislature session and get development funds for their constituencies. So they will wait till the session ends,” Pawar claimed.
The NCP (SP) MLA said Sharad Pawar and other party leaders would take a decision on whom to take back into the fold. The undivided NCP had won 54 seats in the 2019 Assembly elections. The Ajit Pawar-led factor had later claimed the support of around 40 lawmakers.
The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) had won eight seats in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP could secure only one seat. The party is currently allied with the BJP and part of the ruling NDA. The results had also sparked buzz about some leaders planning a return to the parties led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar.
The two Opposition leaders however insisted during a recent press conference that there was “no question of taking rebel leaders back”.
The monsoon session of the legislature will begin on June 27 and end on July 12. It will be the last session before the state conducts assembly elections in October. The three Maha Vikas Aghadi parties have already announced their intention to contest the upcoming polls together.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Published: 17 Jun 2024, 07:58 PM IST