Maha Cong calls meet of MLAs; Kharge, Rahul speak to Sharad Pawar

The Maharashtra Congress has convened a meeting of its legislators on Tuesday in view of the developments in the state that saw a split in the Nationalist Congress Party and Ajit Pawar being inducted as deputy chief minister in the Eknath Shinde government.

The meeting has been convened by Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat.

Thorat called the developments unfortunate and said people are watching them and would give a verdict against such moves in the polls.

The Congress' Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party have now seen splits in the last one year.

The Sena split in June last year after a rebellion by Shinde, who became CM with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi spoke with NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday and extended support to him.

The Congress said that the BJP's 'washing machine' has resumed its operations as a number of these leaders had been facing serious corruption charges and have now got a 'clean chit'.

In a surprising move, Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister, while eight legislators of his NCP took oath as ministers in the government led by the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party earlier in the day.

Congress president Kharge and Gandhi spoke with NCP president Sharad Pawar and extended support to him, All India Congress Committee general secretary K C Venugopal said on Twitter.

"The BJP's dirty tricks department is working on overdrive in Maharashtra. This is not a legitimately elected government, but an ED-facilitated power grab. The Maharashtra government is a product of corruption and sin," Venugopal alleged.

"The people have very well identified the traitors, corrupt and compromised leaders of Maharashtra and each of them will be taught the lessons of their lifetime in the next elections," he said.

On June 29, PM Modi had spoken about corruption and it appears he switched on the 'washing machine' and these leaders are now squeaky clean after this oath-taking ceremony, Venugopal said.

Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Clearly the BJP's Washing Machine has resumed its operations. A number of new entrants into the BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra today had been facing serious corruption charges with ED, CBI and Income Tax authorities after them. Now they have all got a clean chit."

The Congress will intensify its efforts to free Maharashtra from the clutches of the BJP, Ramesh asserted.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole also slammed the BJP for its 'power hungry politics'.

"The BJP has an alliance with Ajit Pawar whose party was accused of corruption by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Patole said, adding that he wondered if the BJP was playing musical chairs in anticipation of Shinde and several of his MLAs being disqualified.

"Just the other day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Nationalist Congress Party of corruption of Rs 70,000 crore. Now, the BJP will have to answer how the same Narendra Modi and Devendra Fadnavis are sitting in power with an NCP faction," he said.

Patole said people are aware who is making a deal with whom for power, adding that the departure of the NCP faction will not have any impact on the Congress alliance, which will return to power due to the trust of the voters.

Asserting that the Congress was the only credible party in the state, Patole asked if 'Eknath Shinde's Hindutva' can now co-exist happily with the NCP faction.

Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan told PTI Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar will have to take a decision to disqualify Shinde and 15 MLAs by August 11, failing which the Congress will move the Supreme Court.

"Today's development is preparing the ground," the former chief minister said.

The BJP has joined hands with an NCP faction by playing the politics of sabotage as public support is dwindling, Patole said.

"This game of musical chairs is going to destroy democracy and the Constitution. Democracy is being disrobed in Maharashtra and the power-hungry Bharatiya Janata Party has a big role to play in it," Patole said.

He said landslide Congress victories in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh had made the BJP jittery, which knows it is also staring at defeat in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where polls are to be held in the year end.

In Maharashtra too, the Congress is getting the support of people, which led to the BJP causing a split in the NCP despite the state government enjoying a clear majority in the House, he added.

CM Shinde used to accuse Uddhav Thackeray of abandoning Hindutva by joining hands with the Congress and NCP, but he himself was now allied with Ajit Pawar, said Patole.

Shinde will need to answer to the people about this u-turn, the Maharashtra Congress leader said.