BREAKING: NCP leader Ajit Pawar sworn in as deputy CM of Maharashtra

Marking a vertical split in the Nationalist Congress Party NCP its senior leader Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shindeled Maharashtra government as deputy chief minister on SundayMaharashtraPolitics NCP leader Ajit Pawar takes oath as Maharashtra Minister in the presence of CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis pictwittercomF58i9WvtJ0mdash ANI ANI July 2 2023While Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the deputy chief minister by Governor Ramesh Bais at the ceremony held in the Raj Bhawan eight other NCP leaders took oath as ministersThose who were sworn in as ministers are Chhagan Bhujbal Dilip Walse Patil Hasan Mushrif Dhananjay Munde Aditi Tatkare Dharmarao Atram Anil Patil and Sanjay BansodeMaharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar who was present in the Raj Bhawan said Ajit Pawar has resigned as the leader of opposition LoP in the Lower House and he has accepted itDeputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal and NCP working president Praful Patel were also present in the Raj BhawanMaharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule claimed 40 MLAs of NCP out of the total 53 have supported the state governmentOut of the total 53 NCP MLAs in the state 30 are apparently with Ajit Pawar who is the leader of opposition in the state Assembly reported news agency PTIAjit Pawar met some party leaders and MLAs at his official residence Devgiri in Mumbai earlier in the daySenior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal and partys working president Supriya Sule were among the leaders present at the meeting held at Ajit Pawars official residence Devgiri while state party president Jayant Patil was not presentSome MLAs were also present in the meetingHowever NCP president Sharad Pawar who was in Pune said he was unaware of the meet but added that Ajit Pawar as leader of opposition in the Assembly can call a meeting of legislatorsOn July 6 I have called a meeting of senior leaders and decisions related to the party will be discussed he saidSharad Pawar also said that as the LoP Ajit Pawar can call a meeting of legislatorsEarlier Ajit Pawar appealed to the party leadership to relieve him from the responsibility of Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra AssemblyI was never interested to work as Leader of Opposition but accepted the role on demand of the party MLAs Ajit Pawar said at the 24th Foundation Day event of the NCPHe demanded the party leadership to assign him any role in the party organisation The 24th Foundation Day event of the NCP was held in Mumbai on June 21In a remark that could fuel fresh speculation Ajit Pawar said I am told that I dont act tough as the leader of the opposition Pawar added that it is up to NCP leadership to decide on his demandAssign me any post in the party organisation and I will do complete justice to whatever responsibility I am entrusted with he addedPawar took charge as the Leader of the Opposition last July after the MVA government collapsed due to a rebellion in ShindefactionRecently NCP chief Sharad Pawar entrusted the responsibility of Maharashtra to his daughter and MP Supriya Sule by appointing her as a working presidentPraful Patel is another working president for other stateswith inputs from PTI