The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which suffered a vertical split on Sunday after Ajit Pawar's surprise revolt, has since then witnessed a series of sackings and appointments with both the factions claiming support of majority of the MLAs.
On Monday, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar expelled party working president Praful Patel and general secretary Sunil Tatkare who had sided with his nephew in the rebellion. The veteran leader also expelled Mumbai divisional NCP chief Narendra Rathod, Akola city district chief Vijay Deshmukh and state minister Shivajirao Garje from the party for attending the swearing in of Ajit on Sunday.
However, shortly after Pawar's announcement, the Ajit group hit back, by sacking state unit president Jayant Patil and making new appointments.
At a press conference, Praful Patel announced the appointment of Tatkare as the new state president of the NCP and Ajit as the leader of NCP legislature party. “We request Sharad Pawar to accept the decision of majority in the party. We want his blessings," Patel said.
In a surprise political coup on Sunday, Ajit joined the ruling dispensation in Maharashtra and also claimed to have the support of majority of the MLAs. The NCP leader took oath as the deputy chief minister in the Eknath Shinde government while his eight loyal MLAs were inducted as ministers.
Earlier in the day, Pawar had issued notices to Ajit and his supporting MLAs asking them to refrain from misrepresenting before any forum the fact that they have any association with the NCP. The party has already moved a petition before Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar seeking disqualification of the nine MLAs.
In the afternoon, Pawar announced the sacking of both Patel and Tatkare for “anti-party activities”.
"I, as the National President, of Nationalist Congress Party hereby order the removal of the names of Shri Sunil Tatkare and Shri Praful Patel from the Register of Members of NCP Party for anti-party activities,” Pawar said in a tweet. He tagged Patel, a Rajya Sabha MP who was appointed as NCP working president last month, and Tatkare in his tweet.
Accusing them of facilitating and spearheading defections of nine MLAs without his knowledge and consent, the senior Pawar, in his letter, said, "Your action of supporting Shri Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who have sworn oath as ministers in violation of the party's direction and mandate amounts to anti-party activities".
"I remove your names from the membership register of the party in view of your actions," Pawar said. The party is initiating appropriate action for formal disqualification of Patel and Tatkare as MPs under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, the letter said.
Pawar's daughter and NCP working president Supriya Sule had earlier sought the disqualification of Tatkare and Patel for indulging in "anti-party activities".
In a letter addressed to Pawar, Baramati Lok Sabha MP Sule said, "I write with great urgency to inform you that two Members of Parliament of Nationalist namely Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, have acted in violation of our constitution, rules of our party and have also indulged in anti-party activities by facilitating and spearheading swearing of the oath of nine MLAs as cabinet ministers of government of Maharashtra."
Patel, addressing the press conference, said the decision to back the Eknath Shinde-led government and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a "collective" move by the NCP.
"Today (Monday) is Guru Purnima; we all wish that Sharad Pawar continues to bless us," said Patel.
He also said Anil Patil, who was among the ministers who joined the Eknath Shinde-BJP government on Sunday, will continue to be NCP's whip in the Maharashtra Assembly.
The NCP has 53 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly.
