NCP crisis: Ajit Pawar races ahead as 29 MLAs attend his meeting, 13 MLAs join Sharad Pawar

Former Maharashtra Home Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday said that they'd see huge supporters joining NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

The comments come as amid NCP versus NCP crisis in Maharashtra, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has called a meeting of all NCP MPs, MLAs, MLCs, District heads and State delegates at MET Bandra while Sharad Pawar has called a meeting of all members at YB Chavan Auditorium -- both in an apparent show of strength.

Speaking to the media at YB Chavan Centre, Deshmukh said, "We will see a huge number of supporters joining Sharad Pawar when he will go out of Maharashtra."

According to reports, 29 MLAs are present at the NCP meeting called by Ajit Pawar in Mumbai, while 13 MLAs are present at Sharad Pawar's meeting.

#WATCH | Sharad Pawar loyalists raise slogans in his support as leaders of his faction of NCP arrive at YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai, for the party's meeting. pic.twitter.com/MRGaSFPu5E

The NCP is in churn after senior leader Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government as deputy chief minister along with eight MLAs who took oath as ministers. The NCP led by Sharad Pawar has moved a disqualification petition against the nine MLAs to Maharashtra Assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP has issued a whip to all MLAs asking them to remain present for the key meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday. The one-line whip issued on Tuesday by Jitendra Awhad, chief whip of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, said the meeting has been called by Sharad Pawar at 1 pm at Y B Chavan Centre on July 5, and the presence of all MLAs is mandatory.

The Ajit Pawar camp also issued a notice on Tuesday to all current and former legislators, parliamentarians, office-bearers, working committee members and others, asking them to attend a meeting convened by Sunil Tatkare, the Maharashtra unit president appointed by the group, at the MET institute's premises in suburban Bandra on Wednesday.

The notice was issued by Shivajirao Garje, who has been expelled by the Sharad Pawar-led party for "indulging in anti-party activities".

(With agencies inputs)

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