Ajit Pawar Removed As NCP Legislature Party Leader, Jayant Patil Replaces Him

The Nationalist Congress Party on Saturday removed Ajit Pawar as its legislature party leader after he joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party to form a government and took oath as the deputy chief minister of the state. "The decision to sack Ajit Pawar was taken at the meeting of the party's MLAs," party sources said. The meeting was chaired by NCP chief Sharad Pawar. The party has appointed Jayant Patil as the new legislature group leader. Patil is considered to be close to the party president.

In a masterstroke, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar took oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, leaving the Congress, NCP and the Shiv Sena surprised.

There were not many people at Raj Bhavan when he was sworn in as CM. The ceremony, which opposition Congress dubbed a clandestine affair after a night of intriguing political developments, the pomp and grandeur of the 2014 event was missing.

After results of the October 21 Assembly elections were announced on October 24, Fadnavis was all set to return as chief minister of Maharashtra, after steering the BJP to another electoral win and dealing the NCP-Congress a blow but bickering ally Shiv Sena played spoilsport.

The Congress on Saturday said that government formation in Maharashtra is ‘betrayal of people’s mandate. Addressing a press conference in the national capital party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also accused Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari of acting like hitman of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “The governor worked not as a constitutional authority, but as a hitman at the instance of Amit Shah,” Surjewala said. He also called NCP leader Ajit Pawar opportunist and said the government in the state has been formed by killing democracy. “BJP scared opportunist Ajit Pawar, formed illegal govt by acting as a contract killer for democracy,” Surjewala said.