Title: Dramatic Political Change in Maharashtra as Opposition Leader Joins Ruling BJP as Deputy Chief Minister
Mumbai: In a surprising turn of events, Maharashtra has witnessed a major political upheaval as an opposition leader has joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the Deputy Chief Minister. The move has dealt a significant blow to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and escalated internal conflicts within the party.
The President of the NCP, Sarath Pawar, recently announced the appointment of Supriya Sule and Prabul Patel as the party’s working presidents, omitting Ajit Pawar from any leadership position. This decision did not sit well with Ajit Pawar, leading to growing dissatisfaction and internal conflicts within the NCP.
Taking advantage of the situation, Ajit Pawar, the leader of the opposition, aligned himself and his 26 supporting NCP MLAs with the ruling BJP alliance. He met with the Governor to formalize this partnership, causing a major shift in the political landscape of Maharashtra.
This is not the first time Ajit Pawar has made such a move. In 2019, he was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister alongside BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, which faced strong opposition within the NCP. However, within a span of eight hours, he resigned and returned to the NCP. Later, when the coalition government led by Uddhav Thackeray was formed, Ajit Pawar once again assumed the role of Deputy Chief Minister.
Following his recent alliance with the BJP, Ajit Pawar was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister once again. Eight MLAs supporting him were also sworn in as ministers, including Aditi Thadgare, Sakan Bhujpal, Dhananjay Munde, Dileel Walshe Patil, and Anil Patil, among others.
The exact number of MLAs supporting Ajit Pawar remains uncertain. Close sources have claimed that he has the support of 40 MLAs. The NCP currently has a total of 53 MLAs, highlighting the significant impact of this move on the party.
This sudden and unexpected political change has caused a substantial setback for the Nationalist Congress Party. The repercussions of this shift in power dynamics are yet to be fully realized, as Maharashtra enters into a new phase with Ajit Pawar assuming the role of Deputy Chief Minister within the BJP-led government.