Refuting allegations that several leaders of the Ajit Pawar camp joined the BJP in the fear of legal cases, NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said that such claims were incorrect and that there were several leaders who joined the faction without any cases against them, adding that they were ready to go back if party chief Sharad Pawar was ready to sideline 'close aides out to finish the party'.







 









"We are being accused of coming here (with Ajit Pawar) for fear of legal cases. This is not correct. Dhananjay Munde, Dilip Walse Patil and Ramraje Nimbalkar have no cases against them. There are several other people who have no cases against them but are still here. We are here only because there are some close aides around you Saheb (Sharad Pawar), they are out to finish the party. We are ready to come back to you once you sideline them. We will come back to you then," he said.



To this, Sharad Pawar responded by saying if someone had any grouse, they should have discussed about it within the party. "Ajit Pawar should have spoken to me if he had any problems. If he had something on his mind he could have approached me. No democratic process can run without communication," the senior Pawar said.


While hitting out at BJP, the NCP chief said, "Those who have no interest in people's welfare are running the country." He further said that his faction of the NCP would keep working for people. "India's reins are in the hands of those who are not bothered about people's interests... We don't have any hunger for power. We will keep working for the people... We have to keep marching ahead despite the hurdles in our way,


The meeting of NCP leaders that was called by Sharad Pawar at the YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai has ended. Sharad Pawar reportedly has the support of 14 MLAs while his nephew Ajit Pawar has the support of 29 MLAs. Notably, Ajit Pawar needs the support of at least 36 MLAs (Two-thirds of elected leaders in the assembly) to avoid the anti-defection law. NCP has 53 MLAs in the Maharashtra assembly.