BJP has promised Maharashtra CM's post to Ajit Pawar, claims Prithviraj Chavan

Senior Maharashtra Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Monday claimed that he has information that the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP has promised Ajit Pawar the post of Maharashtra chief minister reported the PTIWith Ajit Pawars move to join the ruling Eknath ShindeBJP coalition on Sunday changing political dynamics in Maharashtra Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut also claimed that CM Shinde will lose the CMs postOn Sunday Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the NCP to become the deputy chief minister shocking his uncle Sharad Pawar who founded the party 24 years agoEight NCP leaders were also sworn in as ministers in the Eknath ShindeBharatiya Janata Party BJP governmentTo a query Prithviraj Chavan while speaking to reporters in Karad said I had spoken about it that Ajit Pawar may go with BJP publicly but I faced criticismThe Congress leader said he knew this was happeningJust bargaining was going on over what he Ajit should be getting As per our information he has been given a promise of chief ministers post by pushing Eknath Shinde aside with the help of Assembly speakers decision on disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan claimed according to the PTIPrithviraj Chavan was at Pritisangam the memorial of Maharashtras first CM Yashwantrao ChavanNCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday visited the memorial in Karad and paid floral tributes to the late leaderAccording to the news agency Prithviraj Chavan said He Sharad Pawar is one of the constituents of Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA and I am here to extend support to himPawar Saheb is standing strong behind the opposition unity at the national level and he is going to attend the opposition meet in Bengaluru he addedThe Congress leader also told PTI that if the MVA had stayed united and strong the BJPEknath Shinde alliance would have had no chance in elections due to the sympathy factor for former CM Uddhav Thackeray and the Congress and NCP coming together with himThe Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections are due next yearThere would be all attempts to break us and that is what has happened Prithviraj Chavan said referring to the move by Ajit Pawar and eight other senior NCP leaders to join the governmentHe also said state Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar has to take a decision on the disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs including CM Eknath Shinde by August 11 failing which the MVA will move the Supreme CourtPrithviraj Chavan also said Sundays developments were like preparing the ground to save the government if the 16 Sena MLAs are disqualifiedMeanwhile while talking to PTI Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut claimed Shinde will surely lose the CMs postLet the July 5 meeting of NCP called by Sharad Pawar take place we will then sit together to chart the road ahead Uddhav Thackeray has called a meeting of his supporters tomorrow We will remain united the Rajya Sabha member saidMaharashtra Congress vice president Ratnakar Mahajan said the political climate in Maharashtra has for the first time become chaoticEvery body seems to be confused about what will happen in the futureOne thing is certain that everyone wants power In such a situation neither issues nor values matter For the general public it is disappointing he saidAgainst this backdrop the outcome of elections due next year has become more unpredictable he saidMany surprises will be seen in terms of coalitions leaders involved and peoples participation Ultimately people suffer in the process Mahajan saidSpeaking about his party Ratnakar Mahajan said for the time being Congress is member of the MVA Future stand will depend on the situation that develops he addedHowever state BJP vice president Madhav Bhandari said there is no chaos over two Shiv Sena factions and two NCPsThe people who thought they own the parties have been left out and are on one side while the organisation and workers are on the other side It is too early to speak about how the developments will play out in future We have to wait and watch he saidShiv Sena UBT Lok Sabha member Vinayak Raut while speaking to a TV channel demanded that Uddhav Thackeray chart out a separate political path out of the MVAWith the changing political dynamics in Maharashtra Maharashtra is likely to see two Shiv Sena factions as well as two of the NCP battle it out for political space along with the Congress and BJP in the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly polls next yearMaharashtra sends 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha the second highest after Uttar PradeshDespite the rebellion in the Shiv Sena last year which result in the collapse of the MVA government the three allies Congress NCP and Shiv Sena UBT had appeared to stand united and face the BJP at the hustingsThe alliance had even tasted success in the biennial elections to the Legislative Council and the Assembly bypoll in Kasba seat of Punewith PTI inputs