Sharad Pawar camp demands segregated seating for rebel NCP MLAs in upcoming Monsoon Session of Maharashtra Assembly

Jitendra Awhad, the Chief Whip of NCP (Sharad Pawar camp), has requested a separate sitting arrangement for the Ajit Pawar camp members and the rest of NCP MLAs during the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly session starting on July 17.

In a letter to Speaker Rahul Narwekar on July 16, Mr. Awhad emphasized that, apart from the nine MLAs who joined the government, the Nationalist Congress Party is part of the Opposition. He urged for separate seating for NCP members not aligned with the government, expressing their desire to sit in the Opposition.

Mr. Narwekar previously stated that there is no clear distinction between who is in power and who is not within the Nationalist Congress Party. He referred to the ongoing deliberations and arguments about defining the true representation of NCP.

Responding to comparisons with the Shiv Sena's similar revolt last year, Mr. Narwekar noted that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had already provided a verdict in that case, but he has not received updates regarding the NCP's letter to the ECI.

Prior to the recent defection of Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs to the Shiv Sena-BJP government, NCP held 53 seats in the 288-member Assembly. During Ajit Pawar's meeting in Mumbai after the split, 35 NCP MLAs and five of the eight MLCs were present, but the exact number supporting the Ajit Pawar camp remains uncertain.