NCP leader Ajit Pawar entered the Maharashtra administration as the deputy chief minister on Sunday with the support of numerous MLAs. Together with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, he will share the position.
Nine NCP politicians in all, including Chhagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Munde, and Dilip Walse Patil, took the oath of office as ministers with Ajit Pawar at the Raj Bhawan ceremony.
Ajit Pawar’s shocker for NCP, takes oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister. @Rahulshrivstv joins in for more #Maharashtra #NCP #AjitPawar pic.twitter.com/ZVij9mrbAt
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) July 2, 2023
Ajit Pawar announced his intention to resign as leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly a few days prior to the significant change.
Thirty of the 53 NCP state legislators support Ajit Pawar, according to PTI. For him to be exempt from the anti-defection law’s restrictions, he requires the backing of more than 36 MLAs.
With the addition of the chief minister and two deputy chief ministers, the Maharashtra Cabinet will now consist of nine BJP, nine Shiv Sena, and nine NCP members. It can consist of a maximum of 43 people.
Earlier in the day, Ajit Pawar met some party leaders and MLAs at his official residence in Mumbai but NCP chief Sharad Pawar was not aware of the meeting.
