'3 MLAs who supported Ajit Pawar will return to Saheb'

If these MLAs return to the NCP, Ajit Pawar's support will reduce further.
Prasanna D Zore reports

Maharashtra witnessed a flurry of political activity on Saturday morning beginning with the Bharatiya Janata Party's Devendra Fadnavis taking the oath as chief minister along with the Nationalist Congress Party's Ajit Pawar as his deputy, and it seems that the drama isn't ending anytime soon.

Three of the six elected MLAs from Nashik district, who were present with Ajit Pawar at his oath-taking ceremony on Saturday morning, will be back in the Sharad Pawar camp soon, claims party leader Chhagan Bhujbal.

"They have sought a meeting with Saheb (Sharad Pawar) and expressed their desire to come back to the NCP," Bhujbal tells Rediff.com.

According to news reports, 11 of the 54 NCP MLAs are with Ajit Pawar.

If what Bhujbal says is correct, this will reduce the number of NCP MLAs in the Ajit Pawar camp from 11 to 5 with 3 party MLAs already paraded at Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray's joint press conference.

Those dreaming of becoming Maharashtra's rulers by splitting the NCP will not succeed, Bhujbal said.

"Don't ask me when they (the Nashik NCP MLAs) will come back. I am not Brahmdev to know everything, but you will soon see them back in the NCP camp. They have called Saheb several times since this morning and admitted they were misled by Ajitdada and wish to come back," Bhujbal said when asked if the three MLAs will be with the party when NCP MLAs convene on Saturday evening to elect the NCP legislature party leader.

Bhujbal, who is considered the NCP strongman in Nashik district, defeated the Sena's Sambhaji Pawar from Nashik's Yeola constituency. His son Pankaj Bhujbal was defeated by the Sena's Suhas Kande.