MUMBAI: Amid the debate on whether deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar is the NCPs whip or not, the legislature secretariat submitted on Monday that state NCP president Jayant Patil, and not Pawar, is the partys chief whip, though BJP leader and Union minister Raosaheb Danve insisted that its Pawar.
About whats in the legislatures record, an official said, “We have received communication from NCP saying Patil has been appointed as the new leader of the NCP legislature party and that powers to issue whip have been entrusted to him.”
Elaborating on the procedure, the official said that once a whip is appointed, it is expected that the political party will communicate either to the speaker or the legislature secretariat on the appointment. “Ajit Pawar was appointed the NCP whip on October 30 (as per media reports), but there was no communication to the legislature secretariat,” the officials said.
Whip powers with Ajit or Jayant? BJP and NCP in war of words
On Monday, NCP informed the secretariat that Pawar had been sacked and Jayant Patil appointed in his place, and that Patil now has powers for issuing the whip. As such, for the legislature secretariat, Patil is NCPs whip,” the officials said.
On the other hand, BJPs Danve said that at a meeting of the NCP legislature party on October 30, Pawar was appointed leader of the NCP legislature party, and thus entrusted with the powers to issue whip: “…he was later removed, but, in our opinion, notwithstanding NCPs decision, Ajit Pawar continues to lead the NCP legislature party and will have all powers to issue whip”. Danve said, “ (Ajit) Pawars whip will be binding on NCP legislators. There is absolutely no confusion.”
Former principal secretary (legislature secretariat) Anant Kalse said that prima facie, it appears that Jayant Patil will be the NCP whip and not Pawar, “who was appointed whip after NCP legislators passed a resolution on October 30”. “Now, Read More – Source
