Ajit Pawar joins Shinde-led NDA govt; NCP to hold meet on July 5

In a day of dramatic 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.

Eight NCP leaders were also sworn in as ministers at the ceremony held at Raj Bhavan in south Mumbai.

We have all the numbers, all MLAs are with me. We are here as a party. We have informed all seniors also. The majority is given importance in a democracy. Our party is 24 years old and young leadership should come forward: Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar pic.twitter.com/oDmp8aQjmk

— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2023

The NCP patriarch tried to put up a brave front after his 63-year-old nephew's stunning rebellion, as sources claimed that 36 of the 53 MLAs of the party were solidly backing the new deputy CM.

The rapidly unfolding developments came as a shocker for Sharad Pawar, even as sources said Ajit's rebellion was prompted by the NCP chief and his daughter Supriya Sule's presence at the recent conclave of opposition leaders in Patna.

#WATCH | Mumbai: NCP supporters smear black ink on the posters of party leaders who joined the NDA government today. pic.twitter.com/JOW74kSCVj

— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2023

Addressing reporters after taking oath, Ajit Pawar said NCP decided to become part of the Shiv Sena-BJP government for the development of the country and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

Maintaining that there was no split in NCP, Ajit Pawar said they would contest all future elections on the NCP's name and symbol.

#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: Dr Jitendra Awhad, NCP leader on being appointed as the Leader of the Opposition, says, "The day has just started, we will think about it and whatever happens we will take decision accordingly..." pic.twitter.com/SNsu53uHTY

— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2023

NCP to hold meeting on July 5

In the wake of nine NCP leaders, including Ajit Pawar, joining the Eknath Shinde government, party chief Sharad Pawar has convened a meeting on July 5 in Mumbai to discuss the developments and the future course of action, its state unit chief Jayant Patil said on Sunday.

Talking to reporters, Patil said the meeting will be held at 1 pm on Wednesday at the YB Chavan Centre in south Mumbai.

"NCP as a party doesn't support the Eknath Shinde-BJP government. Many of the MLAs who have signed the letter of support to the government, called me saying that they were confused and will always back Sharad Pawar," he said. 

He said some leaders in the party would often demand that the party go with the BJP, but the party's top leadership never approved of it, he said.

He said the nine NCP leaders have taken oath as ministers going against the party's ideals. 

"As of now, nine of our party MLAs have become ministers. Others had gone to witness the swearing-in," Patil said. 

Ajit Pawar has the support of more than 40 MLAs and over six MLCs of his party, sources claimed citing a letter submitted to the Raj Bhavan. 

The party has 53 MLAs and nine MLCs.

Party will take action against violators: Sharad Pawar

Sharad Pawar said it was not the party's decision to go with BJP-Shiv Sena.

He said the party leadership will take action against those who joined the state Cabinet.

"I am not bothered that people have left, but I am worried for their future," Sharad Pawar told reporters and said he would go to people.

"Those (leaders) who violated party line and took the oath (as ministers), a decision has to be taken on them, he said.

#WATCH | NCP chief Sharad Pawar raises his hand and says "Sharad Pawar" when asked about who will be the reliable face of the party pic.twitter.com/2sVWf3RK62

— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2023

Sharad Pawar tried to put up a brave face, saying such things (rebellion in a party) are not new for him.

Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar defended his decision to share power with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"If we can go with the Shiv Sena, then we can go with the BJP as well. The same thing happened in Nagaland as well.

In the afternoon, Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the deputy chief minister by Governor Ramesh Bais at the ceremony held in the Raj Bhawan.

NCP leaders including Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Aditi Tatkare, Dharmarao Atram, Anil Patil and Sanjay Bansode took oath as ministers.

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, who was present in the Raj Bhawan, said Ajit Pawar has resigned as the leader of the opposition (LoP) in the Lower House and he has accepted it.

Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal and NCP working president Praful Patel were also present in the Raj Bhawan.

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule claimed 40 MLAs of NCP (out of the total 53) have supported the state government.

Elections to the 288-member state Assembly are due next year.

Reacting to the development, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said Maharashtra will now sprint forward with one chief minister and two deputy chief ministers.

Earlier in the day, Ajit Pawar met some party leaders and MLAs at his official residence 'Devgiri' in Mumbai.

Senior NCP leader Bhujbal and party's working president Supriya Sule were among the leaders present at the meeting.

However, Sule left the meeting early.

Sharad Pawar, who was in Pune, said he was unaware of this meeting.

This is not a new thing. The party I was leading in 1980 had 58 MLAs, later all left and only 6 MLAs left, but I strengthened the numbers and those who left me lost in their constituencies: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Ajit Pawar joining the NDA government in Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/GO3tQX7Q7E

— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2023

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed the induction of NCP leader Ajit Pawar as deputy chief minister was the beginning of the process of Eknath Shinde losing his chief minister's post.

Notably, it will be Ajit Pawar's fourth stint as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

To continue with NCP symbol 

NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who took oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, on Sunday said his party decided to become part of the Eknath Shinde government for the development of the country, and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

Newly appointed Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, says "Several people will criticise now a bit. We don't give value to that and we will keep working for the progress of Maharashtra and that is why we have taken this decision. Most of our MLAs are satisfied with this. We have… pic.twitter.com/7bTPhdX4FQ

— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2023

Maintaining that there was no split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), he said they would contest all the future elections on the NCP's name and symbol.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has backing of 40 NCP MLAs and 6 NCP MLCs: Sources

Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/ZFQ9wmcBfA#MaharashtraPolitics #AjitPawar #NCP #BJP #EknathShinde pic.twitter.com/Qf0UicWj1c

— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) July 2, 2023

All the elected representatives (of the party) have supported the decision to join the government, Pawar said.

Defending his decision to share power with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said, "If we can go with the Shiv Sena, then we can go with the BJP as well. The same thing happened in Nagaland as well.

"Overall and comprehensive development was taken into account. We have a vast experience of the administration, we can utilise it for the good," he said.

The cabinet portfolios will be announced in a couple of days and we will immediately start working on it, Pawar said.

Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister on Sunday, while eight MLAs of the party took oath as ministers in the Shinde-led government earlier in the day.

NCP spokesperson hits out at Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson Mahesh Tapase on Sunday said the oath taken by nine NCP MLAs as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government does not have official support of the party.

In a video message, Tapase said NCP's party workers, district president, taluka president, youth and women are with party's national leader Sharad Pawar.

"The oath-taking ceremony in Maharashtra was part of Operation Lotus and it has no official support of NCP. Those who took oath, it is their personal decision and not that of the NCP," he said.

Elections to the 288-member state Assembly are due next year.

The political development comes a year after a revolt led by Shinde against the Shiv Sena (then undivided) led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

On June 30, 2022, Shinde was sworn in as the CM with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as the deputy CM.

NCP appoints Awhad as LoP

The Nationalist Congress Party appointed Jitendra Awhad as Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly after incumbent LoP Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde government as deputy chief minister on Sunday.

The MLA from Mumbra-Kalwa in neighbouring Thane district said NCP state unit president Jayant Patil had appointed him chief whip of the party and LoP in the Assembly.

"All the MLAs will have to abide my whip," he asserted in an apparent reference to defection and disqualification angles that are bound to come up in connection with Sunday's developments brought about by a vertical split in the NCP.

Queried on Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation probes against some NCP leaders and its role in them switching sides, Awhad said, "I don't see any other reason behind these leaders deciding to join the state government. There was no need to do such a thing. Those leaders could have sat aside.

"These leaders should not forget the party made them ministers in the past 25 years. Now, they are deserting their leader (83-year-old Sharad Pawar) in his twilight years," Awhad said.
 

Maha will sprint now: Shinde 

Maharashtra will now sprint forward with one chief minister and two deputy chief ministers, CM Eknath Shinde said on Sunday after NCP leader Ajit Pawar took oath as his deputy.

"Politics of development is being backed by a man of development. When a deserving party worker gets a secondary role, such things happen," Shinde said about Ajit Pawar, the nephew of Sharad Pawar who is known to display rebellious streaks.

"Now the double engine government has a triple engine. The state will sprint (on the path of development). Now we have one CM and two deputy chief ministers. This will help faster development of the state," Shinde told reporters.

Maha to get a new CM soon: Raut

Soon after Ajit Pawar took oath as the Deputy CM of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday took a dig at Maharashtra's Chief Minister and claimed that Maharashtra will get another Chief Minister in a few days, adding that "Eknath Shinde and the 16 MLAs that forged an alliance with the BJP will be disqualified".

"We already knew that this was going to happen. Eknath Shinde and the 16 MLAs that went with him will be disqualified. Maharashtra will get another CM in a few days," Sanjay Raut said while addressing the reporters in Mumbai on the political developments in the state.

"What I have said through Saamana has come true. This is not my prediction or opinion that Maharashtra will get a new CM but this is my firm opinion," he added.

Sibal takes a swipe at PM

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar splitting his party and joining the Maharashtra government, saying probably this is "the mother of democracy" that Modi talked about in his address to the US Congress.

In a tweet, Sibal, referring to Pawar's swearing-in along with other NCP leaders, said, "I guess this is the mother of democracy that Modiji was talking about in his address to the US Congress!"

In his address to the US Congress last month, Modi had said that in the evolution of the democratic spirit, India is the "mother of democracy".

(With inputs from PTI)