Maharashtra NCP MLAs moved to another hotel in Mumbai

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday evening moved its party MLAs to another hotel, citing security concerns.

As many as 46 NCP legislators who were lodged at the Renaissance Hotel here were moved to Hotel Hyatt near Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in the city.

According to sources in the NCP, the MLAs were being shifted to avoid public attention. "It is difficult to control the common public at Renaissance Hotel," they said.

The decision comes hours after NCP chief Sharad Pawar held a meeting with MLAs.

According to sources, some of the MLAs present told Pawar and Shiv Sena chief Uddav Thackeray, who was also present at the meeting, that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had reached out to them seeking support in lieu of ministerial berth.

NCP leader Nawab Malik has said that 50 out of 54 MLAs were with the party. "But not everyone is at the hotel. Four MLAs, who have been kept somewhere by the BJP people, are in constant touch with us and will definitely come back," he said.

In a day full of twists and turns, NCP leaders met officials at the Raj Bhavan and submitted a list of their present legislative party members and leader of the legislative party.

Earlier today, the Supreme Court, while hearing a joint plea by NCP-Congress-Shiv Sena, asked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar, and the Centre to produce relevant documents and letters of support from MLAs by 10 am on Monday.

In a surprise move on Saturday morning, Fadnavis and Ajit took oath as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of the state.

Soon after the swearing-in, Sharad Pawar said Ajit's decision to support the BJP was a "personal decision" and not supported by the NCP. Ajit was later sacked as the NCP's legislative party leader, stripping him of the power to issue a whip to party MLAs.

The BJP won 105 seats in the 288-member assembly followed by Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44.