NCP leader Ajit Pawar sworn in as Maharashtra Deputy CM

Move shakes political landscape in Maharashtra, signalling division in Sharad Pawar’s NCP

| Updated: 02 July, 2023 3:03 pm IST

NEW DELHI: In a major development in Maharashtra politics, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, accompanied by nine MLAs, took oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra on Sunday.

Ajit Pawar, who claimed to have the support of 30 NCP MLAs, will share the position with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis.

The move comes shortly after Pawar expressed his intention to step down as the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly.

During the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhawan, a total of nine NCP leaders, including Chahan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Dharmrav Baba Aatram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode, Dilip Walse Patil and Anil Patil, also took the oath as ministers alongside Ajit Pawar.

Earlier in the day, Ajit Pawar convened a meeting with some party leaders and MLAs at his official residence in Mumbai, without the knowledge of NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

9 NCP MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, to take oath as ministers in Maharashtra government. Pawar at Raj Bhavan with CM Eknath Shinde and others. Pawar has letters of support from over 30 MLAs, reports @urvashikhona #news pic.twitter.com/ji6ErFBFLN

— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) July 2, 2023

Responding to the meeting, Sharad Pawar stated, “I am not exactly aware of the reason behind this meeting, but as the leader of the Opposition, Ajit Pawar has the right to convene meetings with MLAs. He does so regularly. I don’t have many details about this particular meeting.”

While senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal and the party’s working president, Supriya Sule, were present at the meeting held at Ajit Pawar’s official residence, state party president Jayant Patil was notably absent.

In the wake of Ajit Pawar’s rebellion, the NCP now faces the possibility of a split, only a month after Sharad Pawar’s resignation as party chief, which he later rescinded after three days.

List of NCP leaders who were inducted into the Maharashtra government on Sunday

The turn of events has left political observers speculating about the future course of action for the NCP and its leadership. The swift realignment of Ajit Pawar and his associates with the Maharashtra government has caught many by surprise and raised questions about the stability of the ruling coalition.

As the political landscape in Maharashtra undergoes another significant shift, the repercussions of these developments are yet to unfold fully, leaving both the NCP and the state government in a state of uncertainty.

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