Stung NCP angling to find fissures in NDA, says Ajit Pawar may steal Shinde's thunder

Ajit Pawar joining hands with BJP-Shiv Sena coalition is not a good news for Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) Jayant Patil said, adding that “(Eknath) Shinde’s power will be reduced”.

Patil, a senior NCP leader, claimed that Pawar’s induction in Maharashtra government as the second Deputy CM is BJP’s aims to look for a replacement for Shinde.

“Some people did not like the way the Chief Minister works,” Patil said.

“Now to reduce his (Shinde’s) importance, Ajit Pawar has been added in the government that’s already in majority,” the senior NCP leader said.

Ajit Pawar, nephew of Sharad Pawar, on Sunday abruptly crossed over to the ruling alliance government in the state and took oath as Maharashtra deputy chief minister. Also, eight other MLAs of his party have joined the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition government in the state.

Also Read: PM Modi… The real reason why Ajit Pawar joined BJP-Shiv Sena govt in Maharashtra

Pawar even claimed that more of his party colleagues will be inducted in the Cabinet in future.

As per reports, ahead of the cabinet reshuffle in Maharashtra, BJP wants to drop 10 ministers from the Shinde faction to make space for the NCP ministers.

After the Uddhav Thackeray government collapsed, BJP had bigger numbers in the state Assembly, but they allowed Eknath Shinde to head the government. However, reports say that lawmakers of Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction claimed that the BJP has been trying to play the big brother.

Meanwhile, Pawar said the NCP had decided to join the Maharashtra government to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts in taking the country “forward on the path of development”.

“We decided to prioritise development. PM Narendra Modi has been strongly working for the country for the last nine years and he is taking the country forward on the path of development. We believed that we should also support that effort,” Pawar said.

With inputs from agencies

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