Five party MLAs were not in contact with the NCP, said party leader Nawab Malik soon after a meeting of the Nationalist Congress Party in Mumbai on Saturday.
Hours after the BJP's Devendra Fadnavis took oath as chief minister of Maharashtra with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)'s Ajit Pawar as his deputy, NCP chief Sharad Pawar called a meeting of the party's lawmakers to take stock of how many had defected to align with his nephew.
"Five of our MLAs are not in contact with us. Six are about to arrive and rest have arrived," Malik told media persons. NCP has 54 MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, in Maharashtra's 288-member assembly.
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Malik said: "On the basis of numbers we have, we will defeat the government in the election of Speaker itself. After which Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government will definitely be formed in Maharashtra."
He further said that in the NCP meeting, a resolution was unanimously passed that the party does not endorse Ajit Pawar's decision and he has been removed as the NCP's legislative party leader.
NCP MLA Daulat Daroda allegedly went missing after visiting the Raj Bhavan earlier on Saturday, where Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar took oath, ANI reported.
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Former MLA Pandurang Barora filed the missing complaint at Shahapur Police Station in Thane on Saturday evening. Daroda is an MLA from Shahapur constituency.
After sacking of Ajit Pawar, state NCP chief Jayant Patil will have all the constitutional rights till the next legislature party leader is elected, a resolution passed by the party said.
Devendra Fadnavis ran an early morning coup on Saturday as he took oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister for the second term on Saturday morning, with Ajit Pawar by his side.
NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik said the list of NCP MLAs submitted by Ajit Pawar to the governor before taking oath was actually a letter signed by the party MLAs when they had attended a meeting earlier.
Some of the MLAs, who were present with Ajit Pawar during the oath-taking ceremony, later pledged their loyalty to Sharad Pawar.
The number of legislators, if any, backing Ajit Pawar remains a mystery.
Meanwhile, sources said Ajit Pawar's primary membership of the party remains intact, as per a PTI report. Additionally, efforts were on to convince him to return to the party's fold.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will on Sunday hear the joint plea of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress against the decision of the Maharashtra Governor inviting Fadnavis to form the government on November 23.
(With inputs from agencies)
