Ajit Pawar Sworn in as Deputy CM in Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra Government

 In a significant turn of events, Ajit Pawar, a senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has been sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra in the Eknath Shinde-led government. The ceremony took place at the Raj Bhawan in Mumbai, where Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP leaders took their oaths as ministers.

The inclusion of Ajit Pawar in the Maharashtra government marks a vertical split within the NCP, as his decision to join the government led by Eknath Shinde raises eyebrows. Sources suggest that the presence of NCP President Sharad Pawar and the party's working president Supriya Sule at an opposition meeting in Patna had caused dissatisfaction among Ajit Pawar and his supporters.

Governor Ramesh Bais administered the oath of office to Ajit Pawar, officially appointing him as the Deputy Chief Minister. Alongside him, eight other NCP leaders, namely Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Aditi Tatkare, Dharmarao Atram, Anil Patil, and Sanjay Bansode, also took their oaths as ministers.

Rahul Narwekar, the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker, confirmed that Ajit Pawar has resigned as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lower House, and his resignation has been accepted. Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal and NCP working president Praful Patel were also present during the swearing-in ceremony at the Raj Bhawan.

Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the President of the Maharashtra BJP, claimed that 40 MLAs of the NCP, out of a total of 53, have extended their support to the State government. This political development comes ahead of the upcoming elections for the 288-member state Assembly, scheduled to take place next year.

It is worth noting that this turn of events occurred a year after a revolt led by Eknath Shinde against the Shiv Sena, which then led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. On June 30, 2022, Shinde was sworn in as the Chief Minister, with Devendra Fadnavis of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) taking on the role of Deputy CM.

Ashish Shelar, the President of the BJP's Mumbai unit and a former State Minister, commented on the situation, highlighting the support extended by CM Eknath Shinde to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the cause of Hindutva. He mentioned that the major faction of the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, is now joining the Shinde and Fadnavis government in a democratic manner, extending their support to PM Modi.

Earlier in the day, Ajit Pawar held a meeting with some party leaders and MLAs at his official residence, 'Devgiri,' in Mumbai. Senior NCP leader Bhujbal and the party's working president Supriya Sule were among the leaders present, although Sule left the meeting early. NCP President Sharad Pawar, who was in Pune at the time, stated that he was unaware of the meeting.

The political landscape in Maharashtra has witnessed several shifts since the 2019 Assembly polls when the Shiv Sena severed ties with its long-term ally, the BJP. Subsequently, a short-lived government was formed by Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, which lasted only 80 hours. Uddhav Thackeray then formed a coalition government, the MVA, with the NCP and Congress.

Last year, a revolt led by Eknath Shinde resulted in a split within the Shiv Sena and the collapse of the MVA government. Following this, Shinde became the Chief Minister with the support of the BJP. The recent development involving Ajit Pawar's inclusion in the government brings new dynamics to the political landscape of Maharashtra.

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