In a dramativc developments in Maharashtra politics, NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Sunday led a vertical split in the party to become the Deputy Chief Minister, shocking his uncle Sharad Pawar, who founded the outfit 24 years ago.
Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar has taken oath as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, in a move that has taken political watchers by surprise.
Ajit Pawar claimed his decision, in which he is apparently backed by most MLAs and senior leaders of the NCP, was in support of the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past nine years. “Seeing his (Modi’s) work, we consider it is important we too support his effort,” Pawar said, in a press meet arranged soon after his decision to join the Shinde- Fadnavis government.
The oath-taking ceremony started at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai at around 2.20 pm. The National Democratic Alliance now has 210 MLAs, up from 170.
The former leader of opposition of the Maharashtra assembly has the support of at least nine MLAs, who have taken oath in cabinet ministers’ positions. MLAs who are with Pawar are Aditi Sunil Tatkare, Dilip Walse Patil, Sanjay Bansode, Dharmarao Baba Atram, Anil Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal and Hassan Mushrif.
Pawar will share the post with Bharatiya Janata Party’s Devendra Fadnavis.
This is the fifth time that Ajit Pawar has become the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. Of the five, three have been before the current legislative assembly could complete its five-year term. He first became a deputy CM under Devendra Fadnavis’ government in 2019 and then, under Uddhav Thackeray and now Eknath Shinde.
“Now the double engine has become a triple engine. I welcome Ajit Pawar and other leaders who have decided to come along,” chief minister Eknath Shinde told reporters in Mumbai.
On the otherhand, Speaking to reporters in its aftermath, NCP chief and Ajit’s uncle Sharad Pawar said that “many party leaders have been restless following the ED investigations against them…and now I see them go with Ajit Pawar.”