<p>Amid the rattling political earthquake involving the quarter-century-old Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the party’s founder Sharad Pawar - a master of Maharashtra’s political chess game - was outsmarted by Ajit Pawar - who is far ahead in the number game. </p>.<p>The rebel nephew has completely cornered his uncle because of the larger game plan of the BJP against the regional parties opposing the national saffron party. </p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/maharashtra-ncp-crisis-bjp-nda-sharad-pawar-ajit-pawar-narendra-modi-uddhav-thackeray-maharashtra-praful-patel-eknath-shinde-1234051.html" target="_blank"><strong>Follow live updates from the NCP crisis unfolding in Maharashtra</strong></a></p>.<p>In terms of numbers in Maharashtra, the NCP has 53 MLAs and nine MLCs and four members each in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. </p>.<p>Of the 53 MLAs, Ajit Pawar needs 36 to ensure that the lot does not attract provisions of anti-defection law. </p>.<p>Days after the rebellion, the Sharad Pawar-Supriya Sule group and the Ajit Pawar-Praful Patel factions held parallel shows of strengths at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre at Nariman Point and Mumbai Education Trust complex at Bandra, respectively.</p>.<p>Though the exact numbers are not known, its was clear that Ajit Pawar was having more MLAs than his uncle’s group. “We have 40 plus MLAs with us…as I have said earlier,” said Patel, the NCP working president. “We have the required numbers…its more than 40,” added Anil Patil, the chief whip of the Ajit Pawar faction. </p>.<p>On the other hand, Pawar-group MLA Kiran Lamahate said: “We have around 12-13 MLAs…it would increase to 14-16…however, many of them are in touch with Pawar saheb.”</p>.<p>Highly-placed sources told DH that while 32 legislators were present in the rebel faction meeting the parent party meeting was attended by 18 legislators.</p>.<p>After the meeting of the Ajit Pawar-group, they were escorted on a luxury bus to a five-star hotel, where they would be staying for the next few days. </p>.<p>However, there is no question of any parade as the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar has more than 200 members. </p>.<p>Numbers would matter when Speaker Rahul Narwekar starts hearings on parallel disqualification by state NCP president Jayant Patil against Ajit Pawar and the eight ministers and Ajit Pawar group’s state unit chief Sunil Tatkare’s plea against Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad, the chief whip. </p>
<p>Amid the rattling political earthquake involving the quarter-century-old Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the party’s founder Sharad Pawar - a master of Maharashtra’s political chess game - was outsmarted by Ajit Pawar - who is far ahead in the number game. </p>.<p>The rebel nephew has completely cornered his uncle because of the larger game plan of the BJP against the regional parties opposing the national saffron party. </p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/maharashtra-ncp-crisis-bjp-nda-sharad-pawar-ajit-pawar-narendra-modi-uddhav-thackeray-maharashtra-praful-patel-eknath-shinde-1234051.html" target="_blank"><strong>Follow live updates from the NCP crisis unfolding in Maharashtra</strong></a></p>.<p>In terms of numbers in Maharashtra, the NCP has 53 MLAs and nine MLCs and four members each in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. </p>.<p>Of the 53 MLAs, Ajit Pawar needs 36 to ensure that the lot does not attract provisions of anti-defection law. </p>.<p>Days after the rebellion, the Sharad Pawar-Supriya Sule group and the Ajit Pawar-Praful Patel factions held parallel shows of strengths at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre at Nariman Point and Mumbai Education Trust complex at Bandra, respectively.</p>.<p>Though the exact numbers are not known, its was clear that Ajit Pawar was having more MLAs than his uncle’s group. “We have 40 plus MLAs with us…as I have said earlier,” said Patel, the NCP working president. “We have the required numbers…its more than 40,” added Anil Patil, the chief whip of the Ajit Pawar faction. </p>.<p>On the other hand, Pawar-group MLA Kiran Lamahate said: “We have around 12-13 MLAs…it would increase to 14-16…however, many of them are in touch with Pawar saheb.”</p>.<p>Highly-placed sources told DH that while 32 legislators were present in the rebel faction meeting the parent party meeting was attended by 18 legislators.</p>.<p>After the meeting of the Ajit Pawar-group, they were escorted on a luxury bus to a five-star hotel, where they would be staying for the next few days. </p>.<p>However, there is no question of any parade as the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar has more than 200 members. </p>.<p>Numbers would matter when Speaker Rahul Narwekar starts hearings on parallel disqualification by state NCP president Jayant Patil against Ajit Pawar and the eight ministers and Ajit Pawar group’s state unit chief Sunil Tatkare’s plea against Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad, the chief whip. </p>
