NCP crisis Highlights: Sharad Pawar to hold meeting on July 5 after Ajit Pawar switch
Ajit Pawar Highlights: NCP leader Ajit Pawar was sworn in as Maharashtra's deputy CM in the Shinde government on Sunday.

Ajit Pawar Highlights: Nationalist Congress Party's senior leader Ajit Pawar joined the Maharashtra government as CM Eknath Shinde's deputy on Sunday. After Pawar, senior NCP leaders Dilip Walse Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal were among other eight leaders to take oath as ministers in the Shinde cabinet. The development came as Pawar met some party leaders and MLAs at his official residence in Mumbai earlier. Later, he reached Raj Bhawan, where the swearing ceremony took place in the presence of CM Shinde, deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and governor Ramesh Bais, as well as supporters of Shinde faction and the BJP....Read More
Earlier, Pawar announced that he wanted to step down as Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra and would like any party post. “I was never interested in working as Leader of Opposition but accepted the role on demand of the party MLAs. Assign me any post in the party organisation and I will do complete justice to whatever responsibility given to me,” he had said at a party event on Wednesday.
'Biggest patron of corruption’: AAP takes swipe at PM Modi after Ajit Pawar switch
The AAP on Sunday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him the "biggest patron of corruption", after NCP leader Ajit Pawar and eight others joined the Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra.
The AAP national convenor and Delhi chief minister asked Modi if he was not "ashamed" of seeing those who were called "corrupt" being inducted into the Shiv Sena-BJP government.
While Pawar was sworn in as deputy chief minister by Governor Ramesh Bais at a ceremony in the Raj Bhawan in Mumbai, the eight other NCP leaders took oath as ministers.
Fight for LoP starts between Congress and NCP
Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe on Sunday said that the picture is not yet clear as to which party will appoint a Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly as the NCP, who had their Leader of Opposition earlier, no longer has the most number of MLAs.
The Congress and NCP seem to be in a fight to appoint the Leader of the Opposition after Congress Spokesperson Atul Londhe said that it is yet to be decided who would be the new LoP in Maharashtra.
"Full picture is not yet clear. Why the LoP was from NCP? Because they had more MLAs. But now, Congress has 45 MLAs with them. And as Ajit Pawar has claimed that he has 40 MLAs with him, then NCP will have only 13 MLAs left with them. The picture would be clear in two to three days," Atul Londhe said while speaking to ANI.
"All of us will fight in the assembly and then we will have the clarity on the Leader of Opposition," he added.
Sonia Gandhi, Rahul speak to Sharad Pawar as NCP splits between uncle-nephew
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said Sonia Gandhi spoke to Sharad Pawar to discuss the situation and extended support to him. Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi also spoke to Sharad Pawar as senior Pawar clarified that Ajit Pawar's action was not endorsed by the party. Read more
NCP workers spray black paint over photos of MLAs who switched sides
NCP workers spraying black paint on photos of those MLAs who joined the Eknath Shinde-led government along with NCP leader Ajit Pawar.
CPI leader D Raja takes swipe at BJP over Ajit Pawar switch
Even as the Opposition alliance in Maharashtra reeled under the seismic turn of events triggered by the exit of senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar along with a band of loyalist MLAs, CPI leader D Raja on Sunday said the BJP was doing everything to stay in power.
Speaking to ANI after Pawar met the Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais along with fellow dissident NCP MLAs and took oath as the deputy CM, Raja said, "We should wait and see what impact this would have on the politics of Maharashtra and that of the country. The BJP is doing everything to stay in power."
NCP to hold meeting on July 5 to discuss developments
In the wake of nine NCP leaders, including Ajit Pawar, joining the Eknath Shinde government, party chief Sharad Pawar has convened a meeting on July 5 in Mumbai to discuss the developments and the future course of action, its state unit chief Jayant Patil said on Sunday. Earlier in the day, Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the party to become the deputy chief minister, while eight other NCP leaders were sworn in as ministers in the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
Aaditya Thackeray's 4 takeaways as NCP splits
Former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday said the political developments of Maharashtra -- the split of the Nationalist Congress Party with Ajit Pawar joining the BJP-Shinde government -- indicates once again that chief minister Eknath Shinde is incompetent. Read more
When did it all start? Tracing Ajit Pawar's long history of revolt and rebellion
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said that they were already aware of the recent move by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar and few party MLAs to join the NDA-led Maharashtra government. Read more
NCP convenes metting of office bearers, district presidents, taluka presidents, and more on July 5
Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil has on Sunday announced that the party has called for a meeting of all office bearers, district presidents, taluka presidents, and heads of all frontal organizations at YB Chavan on July 5.
'Congress won't be affected…our alliance with Uddhav Thackeray is still on': Maharashtra Congress leader Ashok Chavan
Maharashtra Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Ajit Pawar joining BJP and taking oath as Maharashtra deputy chief minister said, "There won't be any effect on Congress, there is no question about that...we're still in opposition, our alliance with Uddhav Thackeray Faction & NCP is still on...” (ANI)
Who will be NCP's ‘reliable face’?
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar in a press conference held in Pune on Sunday, confidently responded to a question about the "reliable face" of the party. With a touch of enthusiasm, Pawar raised his hand and declared, "Sharad Pawar." Read more
NCP appoints Awhad as LoP in Maha Assembly
The Nationalist Congress Party appointed Jitendra Awhad as Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly after incumbent LoP Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde government as deputy chief minister on Sunday.
The MLA from Mumbra-Kalwa in neighbouring Thane district said NCP state unit president Jayant Patil had appointed him chief whip of the party and LoP in the Assembly.
‘I’m with sir': Jayant Patil extends support to Sharad Pawar
Amid the Maharashtra assembly fiasco, NCP MLA Jayant Patil has shared a picture of him with party chief Sharad Pawar and captioned it in Marathi, "I'm with sir'.
‘BJP’s washing machine resumed': Jairam Ramesh's sly jibe over NCP crisis
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took note of the recent development in the Maharashtra politics amid Ajit Pawar jumping ship to join the state assembly as the second deputy chief minister. He said, “Clearly the BJP's Washing Machine has resumed its operations. A number of new entrants into the BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra today had been facing serious corruption charges with ED, CBI and Income Tax authorities after them. Now they have all got a clean chit. The Congress will intensify its efforts to free Maharashtra from the clutches of the BJP.”
‘Pawar saheb said Modi will be PM in 2024’: Newly sworn-in Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujpal
Minutes after being sworn in as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar on Sunday credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for inspiring him to join the NDA government. Read more
Sharad Pawar says Ajit's rebellion individual; 'happy that PM Modi...'
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar disowned Ajit Pawar and his rebellion and said the party did not endorse Ajit Pawar's action and it was his individual decision. Read more
Have everyone's blessings: Ajit Pawar claim without taking Sharad Pawar's name
Maharashtra's new deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday made an explosive claim making it clear that they have the support of the Nationalist Congress Party. Read more
Akhilesh Yadav reacted to NCP crisis, alleges BJP of ‘doing this time to time’
Reacting to the recent NCP crisis in Maharashtra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that it is one of BJP's ‘experimentation’ which it does from time to time.
“BJP does this from time to time, first they did this in Madhya Pradesh, and then in Maharashtra, but people are watching this,” he said.
Right after swearing in, Ajit Pawar changed his Twitter bio to…
Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar has updated his bio on his Twitter account after joining the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government. His new bio now reads 'Deputy Chief Minister, Maharashtra' along with 'Former LoP, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly'.
Ajit Pawar downplays Oppn unity after taking oath as Maha dy CM
Ajit Pawar on Sunday said the “Opposition trying to come together…But they have different situations in each state, there is no output in meeting.”
'Thought we should support development': Ajit Pawar
'We thought we should support development..': Ajit Pawar said Sunday while addressing the media after taking oath as Maharashtra's deputy CM.
Ajit Pawar's NCP camp was ‘upset’ with Sharad Pawar? What MLAs said
Some of the MLAs who accompanied Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) senior leader Ajit Pawar to the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai, ahead of the dramatic swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, said they were “upset” with the party chief Sharad Pawar’s “unilateral” decision to share the stage and ally with Congress Rahul Gandhi at the Opposition unity meeting in Patna last month, news agency ANI reported.
Ajit Pawar changes Twitter bio soon after taking oath in Shinde cabinet

Watch: Sharad Pawar leaves from his residence in Pune
Ajit Pawar's move ahead of Lok Sabha, Maharashtra assembly election next year
Assembly polls in Maharashtra are likely to be held around October next year, some months after the Lok Sabha elections.

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