NCP split: Supriya Sule asks Sharad Pawar to disqualify MPs Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare after revolt

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Working President Supriya Sule has demanded the disqualification of MPs Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare for allegedly engineering "secretive" defections. The NCP's action against the three leaders and the call for disqualifying two MPs are seen as showing an example to those who supported the rebel Ajit Pawar.

The expelled leaders are Mumbai divisional NCP chief Narendra Rathod, Akola city district chief Vijay Deshmukh and state minister Shivajirao Garje. All three had attended Ajit Pawar's oath ceremony.

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In a letter to Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule said, "I write with great urgency to inform you that two MPs of NCP, namely Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, have acted in violation of our Constitution, party rules and indulged in anti-party activities by facilitating and spearheading the oath ceremony of 9 MLAs."

"The fact these defections were done in such secretive manner, without the knowledge or consent of the party president, amount to desertion of the party which in turn invites disqualification. With this, it has become abundantly clear that the said MPs no longer share the aims and ideology of the NCP," she said.

In a statement, the NCP's discipline committee said, "These actions of the 9 MLAS call for immediate disqualification... if allowed to continue as members, there is a very real likelihood that they will continue to try and undermine the interests of the party."

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On Sunday, Ajit Pawar was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra by Governor Ramesh Bais at the Raj Bhawan, where 9 other NCP leaders - some of whom are close aides of Sharad Pawar - attended.