Mumbai, December 1: The NCP (SP) on Sunday named party MLA Jitendra Awhad as its group leader in the Maharashtra legislative assembly. Debutant MLA Rohit Patil has been appointed as the party's chief whip, said state NCP (SP) president Jayant Patil. "We have named Jitendra Awhad as the legislature party leader since MLCs were not present at the party meeting of the newly-elected MLAs," he told reporters. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) bagged only 10 of the 86 seats it contested in the Maharashtra assembly polls. Ajit Pawar Elected as Leader of NCP in Maharashtra Assembly After Mahayuti’s Landslide Victory.

One of the 10 MLAs, Sandeep Kshirsagar, didn't attend the meeting due to prior engagement. A former minister, Awhad represents the Mumbra-Kalwa assembly constituency in Thane district. Jayant Patil claimed that the vote percentage on the polling day (November 20) went up by 8 per cent after 5 PM, which has raised doubts, and demanded that elections be conducted on the ballot paper. Maharashtra Assembly Election Results 2024: Ajit Pawar-Led NCP Surges Ahead of Uncle Sharad Pawar's NCP.

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and working president Supriya Sule were also present at the meeting of the newly elected MLAs.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)