9 rebel MLAs back with Sharad

Mumbai, November 23

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At least nine NCP MLAs who attended the swearing-in of Ajit Pawar as Deputy CM, have returned to the party fold and expressed solidarity with party chief Sharad Pawar. Udgir MLA Sanjay Bansode turned up at YB Chavan Centre here where party MLAs were attending a meeting in a dramatic manner, accompanied by NCP leader Shashikant Shinde, and Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and Milind Narvekar. “I did not go anywhere. I am with Pawar Saheb,” he told the media.

MLAs Dilip Bankar and Manikrao Kokate tweeted they were kept in the dark on the oath-taking ceremony.

Both expressed solidarity with the party chief. Earlier in the day MLAs Rajendra Shingne, Sandeep Kshirsagar, Sunil Shelke, Sunil Bhusara, Narhari Zirwal and Sunil Tingre returned to the NCP fold. Senior leader Dhananjay Munde, who was also said to have attended the Raj Bhavan function, turned up at the NCP meeting in the evening. He did not speak to the media.

“I have not gone against the party’s position. I reached Raj Bhavan after Ajit Pawar asked me. I Followed order as he is the legislature party leader (sic),” tweeted Kokate, Sinnar MLA. “I had no clue what was going to happen there. I am with the party. I will never change the decision once taken,” he added, tagging Sharad Pawar and NCP MP Supriya Sule. Bankar, MLA from Niphad, seconded Kokate in a tweet and said he had faith in Sharad Pawar’s leadership. — PTI