Sharad Pawar camp wants NCP rebel MLAs to have separate seats

Jitendra Awhad, the chief whip of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar camp), has requested separate seating arrangements for the party’s other MLAs and those from the Ajit Pawar camp for the upcoming legislative session. Awhad claimed that the NCP is the opposition, except for the nine newly sworn-in MLAs, including Ajit Pawar. Narwekar, the speaker of the Assembly, has expressed difficulty in identifying the NCP’s leadership and has not received updates from the NCP’s office. The number of NCP MLAs supporting the Ajit Pawar camp remains unknown.

The Sharad Pawar base desires NCP rebel MLAs to sit in separate seats during the Monsoon Session

The ministerial oaths were taken on July 2 by Ajit Pawar and eight NCP MLAs. The sudden action caused the Sharad Pawar-led party, NCP, to disintegrate.

Sharad Pawar-led NCP’s latest move

Jitendra Awhad, the chief whip of the NCP (Sharad Pawar camp), wrote to the speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly to request separate seating arrangements for the party’s other MLAs and those from the Ajit Pawar camp for the upcoming legislative session, which will begin on 17th of this month.

Related Read | Deputy CM Ajit Pawar Receives the Finance Portfolio

Jitendra Awhad’s remark

In a letter he sent Speaker Rahul Narwekar on July 16, Mr. Awhad claimed that the Nationalist Congress Party is the opposition, except for the nine NCP MLAs—including Ajit Pawar—who have joined the government.

“The seating arrangement for everyone else, besides the nine newly sworn-in MLAs, should be determined separately. We want to sit in the opposition because the NCP is there,” Mr. Awhad said.

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar’s Statement

Mr. Narwekar recently claimed that, in the case of the Nationalist Congress Party, it was difficult to tell who was in charge and who wasn’t.

He said, “There will be many discussions and debates over who symbolizes the genuine NCP.”
When questioned about Shiv Sena, which experienced a similar uprising the previous year, Mr. Narwekar responded, “The issue with Shiv Sena is over for me because the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued its ruling. I don’t have any updates from the NCP’s office, although the NCP wrote a letter to the ECI.”

How many MLAs specifically back the Ajit Pawar camp is unknown

The NCP had 53 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly before Ajit Pawar, and eight additional MLAs participated in the Shiv Sena-BJP administration earlier this month. 35 NCP MLAs and five of the eight MLCs attended Ajit Pawar’s first meeting in Mumbai following the party split. It is unknown how many NCP MLAs specifically support the Ajit Pawar camp.

Recent Maharastra Cabinet Expansion

In the recent Maharashtra Cabinet expansion, the Deputy CM, Ajit Pawar, faction took over the farming, relief and rehabilitation, nutrition and civil supplies, cooperatives, women and child growth, and health education departments.

Split of NCP

On July 2, Ajit Pawar and eight NCP rebel MLAs took the oath of office to become ministers. The sudden action caused the Sharad Pawar-led party to disintegrate.