Anil Patil hits back at Raut: no NCP MLA will go anywhere

Talk of a merger between the NCP's Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar factions has resumed over the past few days. Leaders of different parties are making different claims about it. Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) MP Sanjay Raut recently made a big claim about the NCP Ajit Pawar faction's MLAs, saying 20 to 22 NCP MLAs were about to leave the party.

NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) MLA Anil Patil has now given his first reaction, taking a dig at Raut. Referring to Raut's statements that 25 of their MLAs will go to one party and 22 to another, Patil said the MLAs have their bags of clothes packed and are supposedly ready to go to Raut. Patil said Raut should be asked which party they should join now.

Patil said Raut is making baseless statements. He said Raut spoke the same way at the time of the Legislative Council election and then had to eat humble pie. Patil said he was saying with full confidence that no NCP MLA will go anywhere.

Speaking on the merger, Patil also targeted Rohit Pawar. He said the question of a merger is not being discussed at his party's level at all. Even if the issue were under discussion, he said, Rohit Pawar fundamentally has no right to speak on it. Patil said Rohit Pawar should look after his own party and check how many MLAs it has. He made the sharp remark.

Patil also said that, apart from the BJP, no discussion on a merger is possible. According to him, the BJP is the largest party in the NDA.