After Ajit Pawar Switches Side, The Way Ahead For Each Camp

The long legal battle over the Shiv Sena split barely over, Maharashtra appears headed for another one — this time in Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party. The NCP’s Ajit Pawar, who took oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister with nine MLAs today, claiming support of a chunk of the party’s MLAs, will have some way to go to evade action in the assembly and the courts.

Sharad Pawar has not been available for comment. But Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut tweeted that he has spoken to Sharad Pawar, who has spoken of rebuilding the party.

Even if Ajit Pawar has the support of 50 MLAs, Sharad Pawar, as the party chief, can still demand the disqualification of the rebels under 10th Schedule.

Under the recent judgment of a constitution bench of the Supreme Court, the original party has to merge (with another party) to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law.

So for Ajit Pawar, the next move should be to move the Election Commission and prove that he is the original NCP. Till that happens, he and his loyalists will face disqualification under the current laws.

Even then, as per the recent constitution bench judgment, proving to be the original party won’t have retrospective effect under 10th Schedule.

At a press conference after taking oath, Ajit Pawar said, “The NCP party has joined the government. The NCP party name and symbol will be used by us to contest the election… The party is with us, a majority of MLAs are with us”.

In 2019, though, when Ajit Pawar took oath with Devendra Fadnavis to form government in Maharashtra, he had been unable to deliver on his promise of bringing with him a chunk of NCP MLAs. The nascent efforts collapsed and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi came to power.

This time, sources in the BJP are claiming that he has the support of 40-plus MLAs.  

“Now we have 1 Chief Minister and 2 Deputy Chief Ministers. The double-engine government has now become triple engine. For the development of Maharashtra, I welcome Ajit Pawar and his leaders. Ajit Pawar’s experience will help,” Chief Minister Eknath Shinde tweeted.