From hotels to airport, Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress take no chances to guard their prized MLAs

CM Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Ajit Pawar packed in a trip to Mantralaya before throwing themselves into meetings on a manic Monday in Maharashtra.

NCP MLAs leave in a bus after a party meeting in Mumbai on 23 November. | PTI Photo

Mumbai: It was a busy Monday for all sides locked in the battle for Maharashtra, where the break-up of the Shiv Sena-BJP pre-poll alliance has culminated in tie-ups never thought possible — be it the BJP and Ajit Pawar, whom the party routinely criticises for corruption, or ideological rivals Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP, who have now allied together.

The three parties remained on their toes Monday to try and keep their MLA flocks together. The Sena was tapping its unions at hotels and the Mumbai airport to keep a close eye on the legislators of their new alliance. 

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Ajit, now seemingly without any support in the NCP, showed up at Mantralaya. And three NCP MLAs who had been incommunicado since the shock BJP-Ajit ascension Saturday were traced to Delhi hotels, where they pledged their loyalty to party chief and Ajit’s uncle Sharad Pawar.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will take a call on the new allies’ plea against Governor B.S. Koshyari’s decision to swear-in Fadnavis through “political machinations”. Here’s how the parties involved spent the day before.

Fadnavis and Pawar go to office 

Fadnavis and Pawar, who were sworn in Saturday, made a trip to Mantralaya, the seat of the Maharashtra government, Monday morning. Both sat in the chief minister’s office on the seventh floor. 

Since the day marked the 35th death anniversary of Yashwantrao Chavan, the state’s first chief minister, Fadnavis and Pawar paid tribute to him. Later, Fadnavis signed a cheque for Rs 1.2 lakh from the CM’s Welfare Fund for medical aid to an applicant. Both looked tense. 

Sources in the BJP said there was an air of distrust towards Ajit, as many wondered if he can help Fadnavis secure a majority. 

The duo left Mantralaya separately and were subsequently busy with meetings.

Sharad Pawar attends a function

Leaving his trusted lieutenants Dilip Walse Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal and Jayant Patil to handle the crisis, NCP chief Sharad Pawar attended a function at Karad in western Maharashtra. 

He also attended a function to commemorate mentor Yashwantrao Chavan at Pritisangam in Karad. He arrived in Mumbai in the afternoon and threw himself into meetings at his residence, Silver Oak. 

‘Missing MLAs found’

Ajit Pawar says he has the numbers to ensure Fadnavis and he stay in power. However, the return of five NCP legislators “missing” since Saturday — with a pledge of continued loyalty to uncle Sharad — has come as a shot in the arm for the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance. 

While two MLAs were traced by Sunday, three others were found in Delhi Monday. Shiv Sena and Congress members found two of them, Daulatrao Daroda and Anil Patil, at the Oberoi Hotel in Delhi. Both the NCP legislators subsequently told the media that they had been misled into attending Fadnavis and Ajit’s swearing-in ceremony.

According to them, “dada” (Ajit Pawar) called them and said senior leaders of the party had decided to support a BJP government in Maharashtra. 

“We thought that it was saheb’s (Sharad Pawar’s) decision. We were taken to Raj Bhavan by dada… After the oath-taking ceremony, we were taken in a vehicle to the airport and then to Delhi,” Daroda added. 

Patil said they were told that other NCP legislators would soon be coming to Delhi as well. “We are with saheb. We were taken by force. We were not told the truth,” added Daroda. 

A third NCP legislator, Narhari Jhirwal, was traced to another Delhi hotel, where he was being guarded by the police. “Dada told me that a BJP-NCP government was being sworn-in and I had to be there. I was taken to Raj Bhavan,” an emotional Jhirwal told the media. 

“After the ceremony, I was taken by plane to Delhi. A small man like me rose to become a legislator because of saheb (Sharad Pawar). People vote for me because of saheb. You tear my heart and you will find saheb,” he added. 

Back to resort politics

To ensure that their legislators are not poached by the BJP, the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress have been shifting them among different luxury hotels. 

Only a few leaders from these parties are privy to information about the hotels that have been shortlisted for this exercise. 

“We are not told the destination. We are taken in luxury AC buses to the destination. All our moves are monitored,” said a Congress legislator. 

Party workers and leaders of the three parties are helping each other guard their MLAs, sources said, adding that all the hotels where the legislators are kept are heavily guarded by police, private security and party members. 

The Shiv Sena has taken help from its unions at the hotels to keep a watch on the BJP, sources added. The Sena has also asked its union members at the Mumbai airport to check the passenger chart and inform them about any legislator flying out of Mumbai.  

Sources say families have also been warned to caution legislators against defecting to the BJP.

NCP leaders meet Ajit

Senior NCP leaders Dilip Walse Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal and Jayant Patil had an extended meeting with Ajit. The meeting, it is learnt, was meant to convince Ajit to return to the party. 

Although Jayant Patil has been appointed as the new legislative party leader of the NCP, the party is yet to expel Ajit for anti-party activities. 

Sharad Pawar has made it clear that his nephew misused the letters of support furnished by NCP legislators — submitted to him by virtue of his formal role as legislative party chief — but no action has been initiated against Ajit yet. “There is a feeling that he may come back,” said a senior NCP leader.   

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Walse Patil said, “We are trying to change his mind. We will keep trying. We have the strength to form the government.” 

Walse Patil is Sharad Pawar’s confidant and a close friend of Ajit and the senior Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule.