Weekend of political chaos in Maharashtra: What on Earth is happening?
Ajit Pawar on Julu 2, 2023, became the Deputy CM of Maharastra for the third time, in the last four years. Photo: Getty
The political uncertainty in Maharashtra for the last four years doesn’t seem to end, until the next Assembly elections. The state, which has seen two new CMs in the last four years, saw yet another new deputy CM on Sunday, July 2.
What
It was none other than NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who once again switched his loyalty and went over to the BJP.
Just two months ago, Ajit Pawar, on rumours of him joining the BJP, had said, “I am with NCP. I am not going anywhere. I will work for NCP till I live.”
However, he switched to the BJP when he was offered the Deputy CM post.
Pawar was sworn in as Deputy CM at the Raj Bhavan in the presence of CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
In the last four years, Ajit Pawar has helmed four different roles in politics.
The NCP leader was sworn-in with eight other MLAs who will be inducted into the Cabinet as ministers.
The eight legislators are:
- Chhagan Bhujbal
- Dilip Walse Patil
- Hasan Mushrif
- Dhananjay Munde
- Aditi Tatkare
- Dharmarao Atram
- Anil Patil
- Sanjay Bansode
The former leader of opposition and nephew of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, Sharad Pawar, claimed the support of at least 29 NCP MLAs and offered to join the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance.
Deputy CM for the fifth time
With this, Ajit Pawar has become the only politician in the history of Maharashtra politics to have become the deputy CM for the fifth time.
However, the biggest political upset was given by Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare. These two were considered loyalists of Sharad Pawar. There are also reports that Praful Patel might be inducted as a Cabinet minister in the Union government.
#WATCH | NCP leader Ajit Pawar takes oath as Maharashtra Deputy CM in the presence of CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis pic.twitter.com/3l3p1Fi9nB
— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2023
Weekend of chaos
On Sunday morning (July 2), reports came in that said Ajit Pawar had a meeting of NCP MLAs at his home.
- By afternoon, Pawar was headed to the Raj Bhavan to take oath as Deputy CM.
- Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavais were already present.
- Further, Ajit Pawar, after the oath-taking ceremony, said that there is no split in the NCP and that he will contest all the polls on NCP’s name and symbol.
- NCP Chief Sharad Pawar told the media that he had no hint of any such activity by Ajit Pawar and that he would call a meeting of NCP legislators on July 5, to address the issue.
Ajit Pawar wanted a post in the party: What happened on Sunday was already in the making for the past few weeks. There was already speculation in the last few days of Ajit Pawar being in talks with the BJP over jumping ship.
- The rumours grew when Sharad Pawar by-passed his nephew and made his daughter, Supriya Sule, and Praful Patel the Working Presidents of the NCP.
- This might have been a jolt to Ajit Pawar, who considered himself as the next big thing in NCP after Sharad Pawar.
- It was also said that Ajit Pawar wanted to resign as the LoP in the state assembly and wanted a post in the NCP. However, there was no response from the NCP on his demand.
In such a scenario, an offer from the BJP of joining the government was indeed a lucrative deal, which few would let go in politics.
Ajit Pawar has always fancied the post of the Maharashtra CM, but his stars haven’t been aligned.
- In 2019 too, when the BJP and Shiv Sena alliance fell over power-sharing formula in the government, Ajit Pawar jumped ship to the BJP and was sworn in as Deputy CM.
However, that was a short-lived tenure for Pawar as the government fell within 80 hours.
Instead, Uddhav Thackeray threw a political surprise by forming an alliance with NCP and Congress for a Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Pawar had to swallow a bitter pill.
MVA falls
The state saw another political upheaval in June last year, when Eknath Shinde broke away from the MVA government and took 40 Shiv Sena MLAs with him. He joined hands with the BJP and was sworn in as Chief Minister of the state, as Uddhav Thackeray resigned even before the floor test in the Assembly.
- Political observers also say that Sharad Pawar might be in the know of what’s happening in Maharashtra, and that Ajit Pawar might have had his backing.
- Pawar, being a veteran politician, won’t show his cards and one doesn’t know what’s in the mind of NCP as the next state elections approach.
The state is headed for Assembly elections in the next 15 months, and it remains unclear how Ajit Pawar will contest the elections on NCP’s name and symbol.