Ajit Pawar

Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the NCP to become the deputy chief minister, while eight other NCP leaders were sworn in as ministers in the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

The Congress' Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Shiv Sena and the NCP have now seen splits in the last one year.

Senior TMC leader Babul Supriyo who was earlier a minister in the Modi govt said tainted leaders under the scanner of ED for corruption have been put into a "washing machine" manufactured by the BJP to remove their stains and blemishes.

Sharad Pawar said his endeavour after this development would be to travel as much as possible within state and the country, and build relations with people.

Awhad, MLA from Mumbra-Kalwa in neighbouring Thane district, said NCP state unit president Jayant Patil had appointed him chief whip of the party and LoP in the Assembly.

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Pawar was also the deputy CM in the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. In November 2019, Ajit Pawar were sworn in as the deputy CM for the shortest term as the government led by BJP's Devendra Fadnavis.

Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar was sworn in as deputy chief minister while eight MLAs of the party took oath as ministers in the government led by the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (NCP).

"Politics of development is being backed by a man of development. When a deserving party worker gets a secondary role, such things happen," Shinde said about Ajit Pawar

Addressing a press conference after taking the oath, Ajit Pawar said there was no split in NCP and claimed all the elected representatives (of the party) have supported the decision to join the government.

Two days after the prime minister gave a guarantee of action against corruption, Ajit Pawar was appointed as the deputy chief minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government in Maharashtra and Bhujbal also inducted into the cabinet, AAP national spokesperson Sanjay Singh said.

Pawar's swearing-in follows rumors of his discontentment over not being appointed as the NCP state unit chief.

Queried on an atmosphere of confusion prevailing against him, especially his future political course, Ajit Pawar blamed the media and his "wellwishers", a cryptic reference to his detractors in politics.

Sharad Pawar resigned: Speaking at a book launch of his autobiography at the Yashwantrao Chavan Pratisthan, Pawar announced his decision which was met with protests by NCP workers and leaders.

India has surpassed China in terms of population growth, Pawar said while speaking at an event in Baramati on Sunday.

Raut's statement comes a day after Pawar, during an interview with a media house in Pune, responded to a query on his chief ministerial ambitions by saying "yes, I would 100 per cent like to be (CM)".

The 15-member list of star campaigners included party chief Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, Praful Patel, Shivajirao Garje, Clyde Crasto and R Hari.

Pawar played down the buzz saying that he is not able to attend the NCP meeting as he has to remain present for some other programmes happening at the same time.

NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde must ask the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) why it was trying to put so much "pressure" on him and his Shiv Sena.

On Monday, Ajit Pawar also dismissed as false the reports that he has called a meeting of MLAs on Tuesday, amid intense speculation in Maharashtra's political circles about his growing proximity with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).