Praful Patel, a Rajya Sabha member for the NCP, claimed on Thursday that Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, is a well-liked and powerful politician who will have the chance to take the lead the state. Praful Patel, a supporter of Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) group, responded to reporter’s questions in Nagpur that as the position of chief minister is not vacant, there is no need to discuss it.
“Ajit Pawar is a popular and heavyweight leader. He has been leading our party for several years now. Those who work get the opportunity either today, tomorrow or day after. Many have got the opportunity. Ajit Dada will also get it, if not today, tomorrow or anytime in future. We will work in that direction,” he said.
Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan recently claimed that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar would be appointed as the state’s chief minister replacing Eknath Shinde on August 10.
Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra and a prominent member of the BJP, rejected Chavan’s statement on Monday, stating that Shinde would remain the state’s chief minister and that nothing would change in that regard.
On July 2, Ajit Pawar and eight additional NCP MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition. The MLAs were sworn in as ministers while Ajit Pawar took the oath as deputy chief minister. Later, Ajit Pawar, the nephew of NCP leader Sharad Pawar, was given finance department. Ajit Pawar’s entry in the government, according to Eknath Shinde, posed no threat to his position.
