MUMBAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Devendra Fadnavis and Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar were sworn in as the state’s chief minister and deputy chief minister respectively by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai.
The National Congress Party (NCP) appears to have split after its leader Ajit Pawar was sworn in deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Saturday morning after President’s rule in the state was revoked.
He appeared to have checkmated his uncle and party chief Sharad Pawar who insisted that his nephew’s decision was his own and not the party’s.
“Ajit Pawar’s decision to support the BJP to form the Maharashtra Government is his personal decision and not that of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). We place on record that we do not support or endorse this decision of his,” Pawar tweeted.
Senior NCP leader Praful Patel also backed his boss saying the 78-year-old leader did not prompt his nephew to join hands with the BJP.
“This is not NCP’s decision and does not have Sharad Pawar saheb’s support,” Patel said.
Pawar reportedly spoke to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray over phone twice this morning. Pawar had said on Friday evening that Thackeray would be the chief ministerial candidate for the three-party government of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress.
(Agencies)
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