MUMBAI: NCP leader
Jayant Patil
went to the Raj Bhawan on Sunday with a letter to Governor
Bhagat Singh Koshyari
to inform him about replacement of Ajit Pawar as the legislature party leader, and later claimed all NCP MLAs were with the party.
The governor is not in Mumbai, a Raj Bhawan official told PTI.
Patil said attempts were being made to convince Ajit Pawar to reconsider his decision of rebelling against the NCP.
Pawar was removed as the NCP's legislature unit leader on Saturday, hours after he joined hands with the BJP in a coup and took oath as the deputy of Maharashtra CM.
After his visit to the Raj Bhawan, Patil told reporters that he submitted a letter informing the governor about the NCP's meeting held on Saturday evening where Ajit Pawar was replaced as leader of the party's legislature wing.
Patil later drove to Ajit Pawar's residence at Churchgate to meet him.
"We have a meeting of MLAs in the afternoon. All the MLAs who were not present yesterday will attend the meeting today afternoon. We wish Ajit Pawar should not remain out so we are trying to convince him," he said.
Asked if Ajit Pawar would respond positively to his efforts, Patil said, "Koshish karne walon ki kabhi haar nahi hoti" (those who dare do not lose).
Fadnavis on Saturday returned as chief minister propped up by Ajit Pawar, who was made his deputy, just hours after the new alliance of
Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress reached a consensus that Sena chief
Uddhav Thackeray will be their chief ministerial candidate.
Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were sworn in by Koshyari at a hush hush ceremony here, leading to lifting of the President's rule in the state.
On Saturday evening, the NCP removed Ajit Pawar as the party's legislature unit head, saying his move was not in line with the party's policies.
State NCP chief Jayant Patil will have all the constitutional rights till the next legislature party leader is elected, the party said.
The resolution passed at the NCP meeting also said that Ajit Pawar's right to issue a whip was also revoked.
Ajit Pawar, the NCP chief's nephew, was elected as the legislature party leader on October 30 following the results of the Maharashtra assembly elections.