Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar Likely To Return As Deputy CM Under Uddhav's Govt, Claim Reports

NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who joined hands with the BJP last week to form government in Maharashtra but quit it later, may return as the deputy chief minister under the Uddhav government, claim media reports. Earlier, Pawar attended a meeting of his party legislators on Wednesday and guided them on various issues.

The reports also claim that Ajit Pawar is set to return as leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislature party. Sharad Pawar had replaced Ajit Pawar with Jayant Patil after his nephew joined hand the BJP and took oath as deputy to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

On the legislators meet, the leaders discussed issues relating to Thursday’s swearing-in ceremony of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister, Assembly Speaker’s election, confidence motion and programmes to be organised to mark NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s 80^th birthday on December 12, he said.

“We discussed the confidence motion. Dada (Ajit Pawar) also attended the meeting. He guided us besides (Sunil) Tatkare saheb and (NCP state chief) Jayant Patil saheb,” Munde, the MLA from Parli seat, told reporters.

“Dada said we are united. I had said earlier too.  (Sharad) Pawar Saheb’s leadership is the ultimate leadership,” Munde added.

Senior party leaders Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil were also present at the meeting, held at the Y B Chavan Centre here ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Thackeray as the state’s next chief minister on Thursday evening.

Ajit Pawar, 60, who won the October 21 state polls from Pune’s Baramati seat with a margin of 1.65 lakh votes, shocked his party and family last Saturday after he joined hands with the BJP and became deputy chief minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government.

The NCP subsequently sacked him as its legislature unit leader the same day. However, he continues to be a member of the party. Ajit Pawar on Tuesday resigned as Dy CM citing “personal reasons”, following which Fadnavis too stepped down as chief minister, leading to collapse of the BJP-led government.