The Nationalist Congress Party’s Maharashtra unit president Jayant Patil said on Sunday that his party has moved a disqualification petition against Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who took oath as ministers in the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government, reported PTI.

The development came hours after Pawar was sworn in as the deputy chief minister. Eight other Nationalist Congress Party MLAs Dharmobaba Atram, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Aditi Tatkare, Anil Patil, Sanjay Bhansode also took oath.

After his oath, Pawar claimed that had support from all MLAs of the Nationalist Congress Party. He said that he did not split the party, but extended support to the BJP-Shiv Sena government as the Nationalist Congress Party itself.

However, in its disqualification plea, the Nationalist Congress Party has alleged that the defections were carried out in a “secretive manner without the consent of the party president”.

At a press conference late on Sunday, Patil said that the disqualification petition has been sent to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar.

“The Supreme Court’s recent verdict clearly states that the whip appointed by the party will be considered as official,” he said, reported the Hindustan Times. “The number of MLAs doesn’t matter. Thus, Jitendra Awhad will be considered as an official whip of the party and it would be applicable to all the MLAs.”

Patil was referring to the Supreme Court verdict on the split within the Shiv Sena after Eknath Shinde walked out of the party with a group of MLAs to form government with support from the BJP.

Patil added that the party has also written to the Election Commission informing that the rank and file of the Nationalist Congress Party was with its founder Sharad Pawar. “We believe most of the MLAs will come back to NCP and we will accept them again,” he added, reported ANI.

In response on Nationalist Congress Party’s petition, Narvekar said that the head of the Assembly recognises the leader of the Opposition. The Speaker added that he did not know how many MLAs were supporting Ajit Pawar.

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party MLC Amol Mitkari, who is among the rebelling leaders, claimed Pawar has support of 36 legislators and more leaders will join his faction, reported ANI.

“I was with NCP and I will be with NCP always,” he added. “It is not right that there has been a divide in the party. I wish what Sanjay Raut said that Ajit Pawar will become the CM, comes true.”

Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Clyde Crasto has claimed that Pawar does not have support of the 36 MLAs he has been claiming, reported PTI. Pawar needs the support of 36 MLAs to avoid action under the ant-defection law. Crasto added that Patil and the party’s working president Supriya Sule were in touch with all its 53 MLAs.

Pawar had taken oath as the deputy chief minister in 2019 too, joining hands with the BJP. However, the alliance did not last for more than three days and Pawar returned to the Nationalist Congress Party as Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government was formed. He was again sworn in the deputy chief minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government.

BJP on MLA purchasing spree: Opposition

The Opposition parties on Sunday criticised the BJP after Pawar extended support to its government in Maharashtra, with Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti saying that the saffron party was on an “MLA purchasing spree”.

“No words are enough to condemn the manner in which BJP has repeatedly undermined the popular mandate in Maharashtra,” she tweeted. “Not only is democracy being butchered but they are using the national anthem to provide cover for such disgraceful actions.”

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that it was clear that the BJP’s “washing machine has resumed its operations”.

“A number of new entrants into the BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra today had been facing serious corruption charges with ED, CBI and Income Tax authorities after them,” he tweeted. “Now they have all got a clean chit.”

Ajit Pawar, Bhujbal and Mushrif are facing investigation by the Enforcement Directorate in cases linked to money laundering, reported The Indian Express.