In a major political shakeup, Ajit Pawar splits NCP, takes oath as Maha Dy CM in Shinde-Fadnavis regime

Mumbai: In a huge political upheaval, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Sunday 'split' the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, also taking oath as the second deputy Chief Minister of the state at Raj Bhavan today.

Reportedly, several NCP leaders, including Sharad Pawar’s close confidant Dilip Walse-Patil also took oath in the newly formed Shine-Fadnavis-Pawar government.

The shocking political developments in Maharashtra came after a routine meeting of his supporting MLAs and within hours, the decision was taken to walk out of the NCP.

Soon afterwards, Pawar who was the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra Assembly, reached Raj Bhawan along with 29 party MLAs, including Hassan Musharraf Dhananjay Munde, Dharmarao Baba Atram, Aditi Sunil Tatkare and Chhagan Bhujbal to meet Governor Ramesh Bais and handed over a letter of support signed by around three-dozen MLAs, joining the Shinde-led government.

This is the third time in three years that Pawar has taken oath as Deputy CM. First, it was in 2019 under the then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the two-man regime that lasted for 80 hours and later with the Maha Vikas Aghadi ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray, and now with Shiv Sena CM Shinde.

This is also the first time in its history that Maharashtra has got two Deputy CMs, Fadnavis and Pawar, after a hectic morning full of cloak-and-dagger drama.

Pawar has also given the Shinde ministry, which took office in June 2022, its first woman minister, Aditi S. Tatkare, daughter of NCP MP Sunil Tatkare.

Eknath Shinde, Fadnavis, BJP state President Chandrashekhar Bawankule and other senior leaders of the ruling alliance also rushed to Raj Bhavan.

“Now, Maharashtra has a ‘triple engine’ Sarkar. Our people’s government will operate at the speed of a bullet train,” said Chief Minister Shinde after the swearing-in ceremony of Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs.

Meanwhile, a top NCP leader from Sharad Pawar’s “camp” said that “Sharad Pawar is not supporting Ajit Pawar”, reports The Hindu.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said that Sharad Pawar is undeterred by the split in his party and can start afresh.

“I just spoke with NCP Sharad Pawar. He said he is firm and people’s support is behind us. We can make a fresh start with Uddhav Thackeray”, Raut said in a tweet.

In an apparent reference to the new government formation through vertical splits in political parties, Raut said that the people of Maharashtra would not tolerate such a “circus” for long.

“Some people seem to be determined to completely spoil Maharashtra’s politics. Let them proceed on their chosen path,” he added.

With inputs from agencies