Maharashtra cabinet reshuffle: Ajit Pawar joins Eknath Shinde- led BJP govt

In a surprising political development, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, along with 9 other party leaders, has joined the Maharashtra government. Pawar was sworn in as the deputy chief minister of the western state - a position he will share with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis.

Earlier today, a significant gathering of NCP legislators took place at Ajit Pawar's Mumbai residence. The meeting was attended by the party's working president Supriya Sule and senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal. However, state party president Jayant Patil was notably absent from the gathering.

Catch all the live updates here: Ajit Pawar, 8 other MLAs inducted into Eknath cabinet 

The alliance between the NCP and the BJP has caught many by surprise, as the two parties have had contrasting ideologies in the past. The move is expected to bring about a reshuffle in the power dynamics within the Maharashtra government.

Here are 5 points on on Ajit Pawar's switch:

1 Out of the total 53 NCP MLAs in the state, 40 are apparently with Ajit Pawar, who is the leader of opposition in the state Assembly.

2. Ajit Pawar met some party leaders and MLAs at his official residence 'Devgiri' in Mumbai earlier in the day.

3. Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal and party's working president Supriya Sule were among the leaders present at the meeting. However, NCP president Sharad Pawar, who was in Pune, said he was unaware of the meet.

NCP splits: List of MLAs took oath as ministers with Ajit Pawar in Maharashtra

4. Ajit Pawar took the oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra for the third time since 2019.

5. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut expressed his concern over the political developments, referring to the government formation through vertical splits within political parties as a "circus." He warned that the people of Maharashtra would not tolerate such maneuvers for an extended period.