Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut on Saturday said NCP leader Ajit Pawar had stabbed the Sena in the back by joining hands with the BJP to form the government in Maharashtra. Talking to reporters here, Raut also said the state will never forgive Ajit Pawar for this act of his. “Ajit Pawar has stabbed the Shiv Sena in the back. Joining hands with the BJP to form the government is betrayal,” he said. “Ajit Pawar’s decision does not have the approval of NCP chief Sharad Pawar,” Raut said. He added that Sharad Pawar and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will address a joint press conference soon.
In one of the biggest political twists in recent years, BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai on Saturday morning, even as everyone was expecting a NCP-Shiv Sena-Congress official declaration on government formation. NCP’s Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Minister in a quick ceremony in Mumbai. After the ceremony, Pawar explained the decision that has sent shockwaves in the Indian political arena. “From result day to this day no party was able to form Govt, Maharashtra was facing many problems including farmer issues, so we decided to form a stable government,” Pawar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Fadnavis said that, “People had given us a clear mandate, but Shiv Sena tried to ally with other parties after results, as a result President's rule was imposed. Maharashtra needed a stable govt not a 'khichdi' govt.”