'Double engine govt now triple engine,' says Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde as Ajit Pawar takes oath as Dy CM

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said that the state’s “double-engine government” has now become “triple engine” after Opposition leader Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy CM.

“Now we have 1 Chief Minister and 2 Deputy Chief Ministers. The double-engine government has now become triple engine. For the development of Maharashtra, I welcome Ajit Pawar and his leaders. Ajit Pawar’s experience will help strengthen Maharashtra,” Shinde said.

#WATCH | Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde says “Now we have 1 Chief Minister and 2 Deputy Chief Ministers. The double-engine government has now become triple engine. For the development of Maharashtra, I welcome Ajit Pawar and his leaders. Ajit Pawar’s experience will help strengthen… pic.twitter.com/B5ZFBDX7Yb

— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2023

In a surprise move on Sunday, NCP leader Ajit Pawar along with several of his party members joined the NDA government. This was the fourth oath-taking ceremony Maharashtra witnessed in as many years.

In November 2019, after the Assembly polls and the split between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena, Devendra Fadnavis and NCP’s Ajit Pawar were sworn in as CM and Deputy CM, respectively, in an early morning ceremony in Raj Bhavan.

The government lasted just 80 hours as Pawar was unable to cause a split in his party.

Within a month, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as CM after his party joined hands with the NCP and Congress to form the Maha Vikas Agahdi government.

Incidentally, Ajit Pawar, who had returned to the NCP, was the deputy CM in this government.

The MVA government fell in June last year after minister Eknath Shinde and 39 MLAs revolted against Thackeray and split the Shiv Sena.

Shinde was sworn in as CM on June 30 with the support of the BJP. This time, Fadnavis as made deputy CM.

With inputs from agencies

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