Ajit Pawar has made it in his second attempt. Finally, he has left the nest to be on his own, with his flock. The BJP has settled a score with Sharad Pawar for the ‘dhokha’ in 2019. A year ago, the single-largest party avenged Uddhav Thackeray’s pact with Pawar’s NCP and the Congress by installing the Sena rebel Eknath Shinde as the CM. Ajit’s entry has created a situation in the government that now stands on three legs, just like the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Of late, Shinde seems to have strained relations with certain quarters in the BJP. Now, Shinde sits with Ajit, who was publicly blamed by the Sena rebels for their unrest in the Thackeray government. Devendra Fadnavis, a reluctant deputy CM of 2022, was in full spirits when Ajit and others took oath on Sunday. 

While Shinde remained plain-faced, a sense of achievement showed on Fadnavis’s face. After all, a couple of days ago, Fadnavis had promised a googly, more lethal than Sharad Pawar’s in 2019. Now, Ajit has to ensure that as many MLAs, at least two-third of the NCP’s total strength of 54, join him if he were to follow Shinde, who has claimed the ownership of the Shiv Sena party and its poll symbol through the Election Commission, while keeping in mind that uncle Pawar will not rest efforts to swing the number in his favour. Sources said Ajit has 40 MLAs and six MLCs with him. “Whatever happened today is for the betterment of the state. Ajit dada and I will work under Eknath Shindeji’s leadership to give the state a progressive government,” said Fadnavis.