Had MVA moved swiftly after Patole's resignation as Speaker, we could have dealt with disqualification of 16 MLAs: Ajit Pawar

The matter of disqualification of 16 MLAs following the upheaval in the undivided Shiv Sena last year could have been effectively dealt with had the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) moved swiftly after the resignation of Nana Patole as the Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly, said senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Friday.

The matter of disqualification of 16 MLAs following the upheaval in the undivided Shiv Sena last year could have been effectively dealt with had the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) moved swiftly after the resignation of Nana Patole as the Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly, said senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Friday.

Mr. Pawar was speaking to reporters here a day after the Supreme Court delivered its verdict on the political crisis that led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government following a rebellion by Eknath Shinde, who later allied with the BJP to become the CM.

Also read: Eknath Shinde: A grassroot Sena worker who rebelled

Mr. Thackeray’s demand for the resignation of CM Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis is futile as there is a great difference between former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and “current people”, he said.

“First of all, the then Speaker of the Assembly (Patole) resigned without consulting the then CM Uddhav Thackeray. It was announced only after he resigned. It should not have happened in the first place but it happened,” said Mr. Pawar.

After Mr. Patole’s resignation (in February 2021), the MVA, which had NCP, Congress and undivided Sena as partners, should have taken up the issue of the Speaker’s appointment, he said.

“But unfortunately, we as MVA, failed to do that,” said Pawar, who was the Deputy CM in the MVA government.