'More than 40 MLAs are with us': Ajit Pawar camp leader Chhagan Bhujbal

MUMBAI (Maharashtra): Leader of Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Chhagan Bhujbal, on Wednesday claimed the support of more than 40 MLAs as rival factions sought control over the party.

Addressing a meeting called by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at the Mumbai Education Trust in Bandra, Bhujbal told reporters, "More than 40 MLAs and MLCs are with us. We have done all the due diligence before taking the oath. We did not take the oath just like that".

Earlier Bhujbal said, "We will see the number of leaders sitting in on the stage and at other places. Supporters are signing papers and they are asked from where they have come. The exact number of leaders can only be seen on the stage."

Meanwhile, about 29 MLAs were seen on the stage at the venue of the meeting called by Ajit Pawar.

Bhujbal said, "We are being accused of coming here (with Ajit Pawar) due to 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," Bhujbal said.

Earlier today, Praful Patel claimed the support of the "bulk" of the party's legislators stating there was "no need to worry."

Also, ahead of today's meeting Ajit Pawar along with other party leaders unfurled the NCP flag at the Mumbai Education Trust Bandra.

The crisis in NCP continued to escalate, with two factions calling separate meetings today in an apparent show of strength.

NCP suffered a split on Sunday with Ajit Pawar joining the Eknath Shinde-BJP government along with eight other MLAs.

NCP led by Sharad Pawar has moved a disqualification petition against the nine MLAs to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar.

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 Maharashtra government on Sunday.

Sharad Pawar has removed his close aide Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare from the party for "anti-party activities".Praful Patel, a Rajya Sabha MP, has been a close associate of Pawar and was appointed working president of NCP last month. He was a minister in the Congress-led UPA government along with Pawar.

Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule had written to him for action against the two MPs.