Sharad Pawar rules out split in NCP (SP) amid speculation of MPs contact with rival camp

Baramati (Maharashtra): Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday expressed confidence in his party's unity and loyalty, stating that while Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs have split, none of the MPs of his party will break away.

Addressing reporters here, Pawar said, "Shiv Sena UBT MPs h have split, none of our MPs will split."

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His assertion comes in reponse to speculations that NCP (SP) MPs and MLAs are in contact with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

This follows weeks of turmoil for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), which saw six of its MPs join the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The Lok Sabha MPs include Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh, Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, Omprakash Bhupalsingh Nimbalkar and Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar.

Yesterday, Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and urged him to hear them before taking any decision.

Sawant, who was accompanied by party MP Anil Desai, said they had written to the Speaker earlier too following the parliamentary party meeting and have written to him again." You know that six of our Shiv Sena MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray-led party left the party and joined another party. Anil Desai and I met Lok Sabha Speaker last week and submitted a request regarding this matter. In that request, we stated that if any individual or MP comes to you individually or in a group and says they want to leave, you should protect the Constitution. This is our expectation," Sawant told reporters.

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"Now, after this incident, we sent a letter again, requesting that if anything happens regarding this matter, please hear from us first and don't make a decision without hearing from us. So, he gave us time today. We asked him to let us know if he received any letters. He said he did not receive any letters," Sawant said.

Six MPs of the Sena (UBT) were formally inducted into the party in the presence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on June 22. Addressing a press conference after their joining, Shinde said that he does not leave anything half done stating that "Operation Tiger is successful."

He said the move was completed in line with constitutional provisions and parliamentary procedures, asserting that the MPs had joined the party for development-focused governance and constituency work.

Shinde said the MPs have joined the party for the development of their constituencies rather than personal gain.

"Today we welcome all these six kattar Shivsainik MPs into the original Shiv Sena of Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe. In 2022, we carried out a revolt when 40 MLAs joined us, and that was to save the Shiv Sena of Balasaheb. This is the second phase of that same movement. We are here to preserve the ideology of Shiv Sena and Balasaheb, and that is why these MPs have decided to come to the original Shiv Sena," the Deputy Chief Minister said.