Maharashtra Politics: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jayant Patil Tuesday said the rebel group of Ajit Pawar has no right to remove the former from the post. He claimed that all 53 NCP MlAs are with party chief Sharad Pawar.

“The faction led by (Ajit Pawar) is a ‘Notionalist’ Party. They have no right to remove me from the post (of NCP state unit president),” Jayant Patil told reporters.

Replacing Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil, Ajit Pawar on Monday appointed Sunil Tatkare on the post. He asked Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to disqualify Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from membership of the House.

Before Ajit Pawar replaced Jayant Patil, NCP chief Sharad Pawar had removed general secretary Tatkare and working president Praful Patel for engaging in “anti-party” activities.

The action was taken against the two leaders after they joined the swearing-in ceremony of Ajit Pawar and 8 other MLAs on Sunday.

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This caused the confusion over number of MLAs supporting Sharad Pawar’s foundational group and rebel leader Ajit Pawar, while both the parties claiming that they have support of all 53 MLAs.

After attending a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said, “There was nothing new as such. We and Chief Minister Shinde have worked together in the cabinet. We have experience for the cabinet. Most of them were ministers in that cabinet.”

“BJP also has some ministers, like Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil – when he was in Congress, I worked with him. So it is nothing new. All works are properly going on. You should not worry at all, the majority of (NCP) MLAs are with me,” he added.