NCP trashes reports of 12 MLAs jumping ship, claims 'ex-members in BJP eager to return'

Amid speculation that 12 NCP MLAs are likely to join BJP by August-end, Maharashtra Minister and NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik on Monday issued a strong denial. Earlier in the day, sources hinted that 12 legislators hailing from Western Maharashtra are in touch with BJP's central leadership. Reportedly unhappy with the functioning of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, these MLAs also allegedly backed Ajit Pawar to form the government with BJP on November 23, 2019. 

In fact, Malik claimed that the NCP MLAs who had joined BJP before the 2019 Assembly polls were eager to return to the party fold. Stressing that no decision had been taken on re-inducting these legislators, the NCP spokesperson assured that a call will be taken in this regard soon. On multiple occasions, Maharashtra BJP has denied poaching attempts and predicted that the Sena-NCP-Congress government shall collapse under the weight of its own contradictions. 

Writing on Twitter, Nawab Malik remarked, "Some people are spreading the rumour that 12 NCP MLAs are joining BJP. This is baseless and contrived news. On the contrary, the NCP MLAs who joined BJP before the election are eager to come back. But no decision has been taken so far. A decision will be taken soon and the information pertaining to this will be made public."

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Fadnavis rules out alliance with Sena

Amid the Maharashtra BJP president's willingness to tie-up with Shiv Sena once again, Leader of Opposition and former CM Devendra Fadnavis issued a clarification recently. State BJP chief Chandrakant Patil did not rule out a tie-up with the Sena, while maintaining that the latter will have to give up support of NCP and Congress before the end of the MVA government's 5-year tenure. According to Fadnavis, BJP would contest the next Assembly polls alone.

He said that neither BJP nor Shiv Sena had sent an alliance proposal to each other. The BJP leader reiterated that no such proposal is under consideration. Speaking to Republic TV, Patil had mentioned that the final call regarding the possibility of an alliance with the Sena shall be taken by BJP's central leadership. BJP and former ally Sena had a bitter fallout after the 2019 Assembly election owing to the latter's demand for rotational CM. 

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