'Congress' demand to appoint leader of Opposition is valid': NCP Chief Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Sharad Pawar said on Monday that Congress’ demand to appoint one of its leaders as Oppostion’s head would be valid as it is the only party with maximum numbers of MLAs.

“The party which has the maximum number of MLAs can demand the LoP post. As per my information, Congress has the maximum number currently and if they ask for it then it’s a valid demand,” Pawar said.

Talking about the ideology of Ajit Pawar and the other eight leaders who left NCP for BJP, Sharad Pawar said, “Many from there (Ajit Pawar’s side) called me and said most of them are still with the original ideology/policies of the NCP and they will declare their stand at the right time.”

“I have not called anyone to show any strength here. Sometimes your strength goes up and sometimes, it goes down. I had faced this earlier also in 1980 where out of my 59 MLAs only 5 were left but I campaigned for my party and those who left the party lost in the next election,” he added.

Following the defection of nephew Ajit Pawar and eight other leaders, the NCP supremo said that he has never worried about who left and who stays. “Today, during my tour, around 80 per cent of the total people who came to meet me were youngsters. These youngsters will work for the secular ideology and strengthen Maharashtra with whatever it takes,” he said.

Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal along with Dilip Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Mundo, Dharmaraobaba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode and Anil Patil joined Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Praful Patel was also dismissed by Sharad Pawar yesterday over “anti-party activities.”

“I write with great urgency to inform you that two Members of Parliament, Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare…have indulged in anti-party activities by facilitating and spearheading the swearing of the oath of nine MLAs as Cabinet Ministers of Government of Maharashtra,” Supriya Sule wrote to Sharad Pawar.

With inputs from ANI

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