As many as eight NCP MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra Cabinet on Sunday. These included Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dilip Walse Patil, Dhananjay Munde, Aditi Tatkare, Anil Bhaidas Patil, Baburao Atram and Sanjay Bansode.
The swearing-in ceremony was held in the Raj Bhawan. Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, who was present in the Raj Bhawan, said Ajit Pawar has resigned as the leader of opposition (LoP) in the Lower House and he has accepted it.
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After swearing-in as the minister, Pawar greeted Governor, CM Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and joined them on stage. Earlier today, Pawar reached Raj Bhawan with 30 NCP MLAs to join the Maharashtra government in the presence of CM Eknath Shinde.
Ajit Pawar has maintaining that there was no split in the Nationalist Congress Party and that his faction is the “real NCP”.
He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said “The country is progressing under the leadership of PM Modi. He is also popular in other countries. Everyone supports him and appreciates his leadership.”
Pawar defended his decision to join hands with the BJP and 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.”
He also said his party will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections with the BJP and the cabinet will be expanded soon. The cabinet portfolios will be announced in a couple of days and we will immediately start working on it, Pawar said.
NCP supremo Sharad Pawar has hinted of action against those “who violated the party line” and joined the Eknath Shinde government.
“Today’s episode (on his party MLAs joining the Shinde government) may be new for others, but not for me,” he said as he faced a similar situation in 1980s. “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,” he said.
He said he will discuss the matter with the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. “It is the right of the speaker to decide about of the leader of the Opposition. In the next two-three days, we will sit with Congress and Uddhav Thackeray to access the situation. Our main strength is the common people, they have elected us,” he said.
Later, Jitendra Awhad was appointed as Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly. Awhad said the party symbols would be with the NCP stalwart Sharad Pawar. Speaking to reporters, he slammed the move by Ajit Pawar led faction and said, “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.”
As many as 40 MLAs are backing Ajit Pawar. The list includes Dilip Walse Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal, Kiran Lahmate, Nilesh Lanke, Dhananjay Munde, Ramraje Nimbalkar, Daulat Daroda, Makarkand Patil, Anul Benke, Sunil Tingre, Amol Mitkari, Aditi Takre, Shekhar Nikam, Nilay Nayak, Ashok Pawar, Anil Patil and Saroj Ahire.
Pawar’s visit to Raj Bhawan comes days after he offered to resign as LoP of the Maharashtra Assembly amid rumours of him being upset about being denied the post of party’s state unit chief.
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