Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 2 (ANI): Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)’s senior leader Ajit Pawar on Sunday joined Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra and took oath as the deputy chief minister of the state.  In a dramatic turn of events, Pawar, along with nine MLAs, reached Raj Bhawan to meet Governor Ramesh Bais.

According to sources, MLAs accompanying Ajit Pawar to Raj Bhawan were upset with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar’s ‘unilateral’ decision to share the stage and ally with Rahul Gandhi at the opposition unity meet in Bihar’s Patna last month. Pawar was later administered oath as the second deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was also present on the occasion. Earlier, a meeting of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders was called at the residence of NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Sunday and later Ajit Pawar along with other party leaders reached the Raj Bhavan.

Pawar claims he has the backing of more than 40 MLAs in the State Legislative Assembly and more than 6 MLCs in the Legislative Council.  “Ajit Pawar has the backing of more than 40 MLAs in Vidhan Sabha and more than 6 MLCs in Vidhan Parishad,” party sources said.

Newly appointed Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said, “Today, we have decided to support the Maharashtra government and took oath as ministers. There will be a discussion on the portfolios later. Considering all aspects at the national level, we thought that we should support development.” “The country is progressing under the leadership of PM Modi. He is also popular in other countries. Everyone supports him and appreciates his leadership. We will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections with them (BJP) and that is why we have taken this decision,” Pawar added.

Earlier today Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)’s senior leader Ajit Pawar on Sunday joined Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra and took oath as the deputy chief minister of the state. In a dramatic turn of events, Pawar, along with nine MLAs, reached Raj Bhawan to meet Governor Ramesh Bais. A total of 9 NCP leaders took oath as Maharashtra ministers after Ajit Pawar and other party leaders joined the NDA government in Maharashtra. Pawar was later administered oath as the second deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was also present on the occasion. On the occasion, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said that the double-engine government has now become triple-engine. “Now we have 1 Chief Minister and 2 Deputy Chief Ministers. The double-engine government has now become triple engine. For the development of Maharashtra, I welcome Ajit Pawar and his leaders. Ajit Pawar’s experience will help strengthen Maharashtra,” Maharashtra CM Shinde said. (ANI)

NCP files disqualification petition against 9 MLAs including Ajit Pawar

After NCP leader Ajit Pawar and eight other party leaders joined the Shiv Sena–BJP alliance in Maharashtra on Sunday in a surprise and dramatic political move, the party filed a disqualification petition with the assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar against its nine leaders.

“We have filed a disqualification petition with the speaker of the assembly, and we will send hard copies as soon as possible. This disqualification petition was filed against nine leaders,” said NCP leader Jayant Patil.

He further added, “They didn’t inform anyone that they were leaving the party, which is against the NCP. We have also written a letter to the Election Commission of India. We are not accepting this; these nine leaders didn’t inform us before doing this (leaving the party).” “We believe most of the MLAs will come back to the NCP, and we will accept them again,” he further added.   

Earlier, in a surprising turn of events that in some ways resembled the split in the Shiv Sena almost a year ago, NCP leader Ajit Pawar took oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, with eight other party legislators also joining the National Democratic Alliance government in the state. Ajit Pawar said all MLAs are with him, and they have joined the Shiv Sena–BJP government as a party. “We have all the numbers. All MLAs are with me. We are here as a party. We have informed all seniors as well. The majority is given importance in a democracy. Our party is 24 years old and young leadership should come forward,” Ajit Pawar said after taking oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The Deputy CM further said that a few other ministers would be added in the next expansion. “We took a decision to come with the Shinde-Fadanvis government with almost all MLAs of the NCP. We took the oath, and a few other ministers will be added in the next expansion”, Ajit Pawar said.

State Governor Ramesh Bais administered the oath to NCP Leader Ajit Pawar as Maharashtra’s second Deputy Chief Minister. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) working president Supriya Sule and MP Supriya Sule on Sunday said that Ajit Pawar joining the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis Maharashtra Government is “painful” but her relationship with him would remain the same. “My relationship with Ajit Pawar will not change, he will always remain my elder brother. We will rebuild the party,” said NCP MP Supriya Sule. “Whatever happened is painful. Sharad Pawar treated everyone like a family and he is our senior leader, I don’t think speaking after his statement will be correct,” Sule added.

Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar responded, “We live in a democratic country where everyone has the right to speak for themselves and keep their points. Ajit Pawar’s move is his own decision and point of view.”

NCP disqualifies 9 MLAs including Ajit Pawar for indulging in anti-party activities

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 3 (ANI): The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday disqualified nine MLAs including Ajit Pawar, who were sworn in as ministers in the Shinde-Fadnavis government on July 2, for indulging in anti-party activities.
The NCP moved a disqualification petition against the nine MLAs to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar.  “The State Discipline Committee passed a resolution dated 2 July 2023 recorded the factum of disqualification of the said 9 (nine) MLAs from the party due to their indulgence in anti-party activities,” the letter served to the nine disqualified MLAs said. 

Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal along with Dilip Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Mundo, Dharmaraobaba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode and Anil Patil joined Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government on Sunday. “It is recorded that the fact these defections were done in such a secretive manner, without the knowledge or consent of the Party President, amounts to desertion of the party which in turn invites disqualification,” the letter said. “The Party has therefore initiated appropriate proceedings for formal disqualification of these MLAs from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly under the 10 per cent Schedule of the Constitution of India,” the letter said further.

The letter also ordered the disqualified MLAs to refrain from misrepresenting before any forum that they have any association with the NCP Party. Any such act of misrepresentation would be absolutely unlawful and illegal. 

Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Minister on Sunday, July 2. Eight other NCP leaders took oath as ministers. Hours after Ajit Pawar and some other Nationalist Congress Party leaders joined the Maharashtra government, party chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said, “This is not ‘googly’, it is a robbery” and that he was worried about the future of those who left the party.

Talking to reporters after his nephew and eight other party leaders rebelled and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra, Pawar said he was not worried about what happened and will work to strengthen the party again. “This is not ‘googly’, it is a robbery. It is not a small thing,” Sharad Pawar said.
“Some of my colleagues have taken a different stand. I had called a meeting of all the leaders on July 6, where some important issue was to be discussed and some changes were to be made within the party but before that meeting, some of the leaders have taken a different stand.”

Sharad Pawar said that in the next two-three days, they will sit with Congress and Uddhav Thackeray to access the situation. “Our main strength is the common people, they have elected us”. Sharad Pawar said he had dealt with splits earlier and rejuvenated the party. “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,” he said.

The former Maharashtra Chief Minister said he has been receiving calls from other opposition leaders including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over developments in Maharashtra. He said senior leaders will sit to decide about any action against the rebel leaders. “We will work to strengthen the party again. MLAs and all senior leaders will sit together to decide about any action against the rebel leaders. Being the president, I had appointed Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare but they did not follow their responsibilities. Therefore, I have to take some action against them,” he said. (ANI)

“Deal is final this time; Ajit Pawar will replace Shinde as CM”: Saamana

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 3 (ANI): Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on Sunday claimed that Ajit Pawar who was sworn in as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister on Sunday would replace Chief Minister Eknath Shinde soon and this time the “deal has been finalised”. The mouthpiece of Shiv Sena (UBT) ‘Saamana’ on Sunday claimed that the Eknath Shinde along with 16 MLAs who were part of the split in Shiv Sena almost a year ago are going to be “disqualified” as per the Constitution. “Ajit Pawar has created a record by taking oath as Deputy Chief Minister, but this time the ‘deal’ has been finalised. Pawar didn’t just go for the deputy chief minister’s post. Soon, as per the constitution, Eknath Shinde and his rebel MLAs will be disqualified and Ajit Pawar will be coronated,” read the UBT mouthpiece.The party further hit out at Ajit Pawar saying that the latter’s move was not “democratic and was morally wrong” as he was the Leader of Opposition in the assembly.
Slamming the other 8 MLAs who took oath as the cabinet ministers, the editorial said, “Till yesterday, the ones who used to consider Sharad Pawar as their ‘God’ went with Ajit Pawar.” Giving reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent “scamster” remark, the editorial said that the PM must have to give different figures on corruption in his next speech as the numbers have varied after Ajit Pawar and other MLAs joined BJP’s allies. “In Bhopal, PM said that ‘the opposition parties gathered in Patna have done corruption worth 20 lakh crores’. Out of this, 2.5 lakh crores have now been deposited in the BJP’s account. So, Modi will have to give a revised figure in his next speech. Modi and Shah have no hatred for corruption. Just come and do that in BJP, that’s all they have to say,” it added.

“Their so-called Hindutva is now over. The day is not very far when Shinde and his rebel colleagues will be disqualified, is the true meaning of Sunday’s development,” Samaana claimed.  It further said that those who possess the arrogance of power and believe they can buy out their opposition are taking control of democracy. “These people are not even ready to hold elections for 14 municipal corporations in the state, including Mumbai city,” it said.

The editorial also called Ajit Pawar’s move a “minor tremor”. “It was not an earthquake but minor tremors. What happened to the Shiv Sena a year ago is now happening to the NCP? As NCP chief Sharad Pawar said, there will be a new day tomorrow,” Saamana said. State Governor Ramesh Bais administered the oath to Ajit Pawar and other ministers – Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Dharmarao Baba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode and Anil Patil.

Earlier in the day, Sanjay Raut, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said that in just a few days, Maharashtra will get another Chief Minister. “Today I am saying this in front of the camera, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra is going to change. Eknath Shinde is being removed. Eknath Shinde and the 16 MLAs are going to be disqualified,” Raut said while talking to ANI. (ANI)