Mumbai, 02 July (Hindustan Times). Maharashtra politics witnessed a sudden upheaval on Sunday with the break-up of Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). NCP leader Ajit Pawar called a meeting and decided to join the Shinde government and reached Raj Bhavan with his supporting MLAs. Ajit Pawar was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister and 8 other NCP leaders were sworn in as Ministers by organizing the swearing-in in a hurry.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar has claimed that 36 party MLAs have extended support to the Shinde government. Governor Ramesh Bais administered the oath of office to NCP leader Ajit Pawar as Deputy Chief Minister in a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan. Apart from this, senior NCP leaders Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Dharmarao Baba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode and Anil Patil have taken oath as ministers. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, BJP State President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, NCP National Working President Praful Patel were present at the swearing-in ceremony.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar called a meeting of supporting MLAs at his official bungalow Devagiri this morning. Dilip Walse Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal, Kiran Lahmate, Nilesh Lanka, Dhananjay Munde, Ramraje Nimbalkar, Daulat Daroda, Makrand Patil, Anul Benke, Sunil Tingre, Amol Mitkari, Aditi Tatkare, Shekhar Nikam, Nilay Naik, Ashok were present in this meeting. Pawar, Anil Patil, Saroj Ahire were present. After the meeting, Ajit Pawar reached Raj Bhavan along with his supporting MLAs and resigned from the post of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly. After this, Ajit Pawar handed over the list of his 36 supporting MLAs to the Governor. After this, Governor Ramesh Bais administered the oath of office to 9 NCP MLAs in a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan.
Ajit Pawar today took oath as Deputy Chief Minister for the third time in the last three and a half years. Sharad Pawar has invalidated the swearing in of Ajit Pawar and other NCP leaders. NCP chief Pawar said that I do not know exactly why Ajit Pawar called this meeting, but he has the right to call the meeting. Sharad Pawar said that 80 per cent of the MLAs who have gone will return to the NCP. That’s why it is being speculated that action can be taken against all these MLAs in NCP within the party.
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde says that now we have 1 Chief Minister and 2 Deputy Chief Ministers. The double engine government has now become a triple engine. I welcome Ajit Pawar and his leaders for the development of Maharashtra. Ajit Pawar’s experience will help strengthen Maharashtra. Ajit Pawar has supported the government in the development of the state. With this, the development of the state will now happen at the speed of a bullet train. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that a different kind of development politics is going on in the state. Ajit Pawar has come with us in the name of development, due to which the state will develop at a faster pace.
