NCP’s Ajit Pawar Joins Shinde Govt in Maharashtra, Takes Oath as Deputy CM

GG News Bureau

Mumbai, 2nd July. Ajit Pawar, prominent leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), joined the Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra on Sunday and took oath as the state’s deputy chief minister.

Pawar, along with nine MLAs, arrived at Raj Bhawan to meet Governor Ramesh Bais in a dramatic change of events.

According to sources, MLAs accompanying Ajit Pawar to Raj Bhawan were dissatisfied with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar’s ‘unilateral’ decision to share the stage and associate with Rahul Gandhi during the opposition unity meeting in Patna, Bihar, last month.

Pawar was later sworn in as Maharashtra’s second deputy chief minister.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was also present.

On Sunday, a conference of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders was arranged at the residence of NCP leader Ajit Pawar, and Ajit Pawar and other party leaders later arrived at the Raj Bhavan.