NCP splits: List of MLAs took oath as ministers with Ajit Pawar in Maharashtra
In a major development, NCP's Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra on Sunday, joining the Shinde government.
Ajit Pawar has been sworn in as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra for the third time since 2019. This unexpected development came as a surprise to the political circles in Maharashtra, as there was complete silence regarding the matter until Sunday morning. Follow LIVE updates on NCP crisis in Maharashtra here
Three weeks after Sharad Pawar appointed Supriya Sule and Praful Patel as the working presidents of the Nationalist Congress Party, Ajit Pawar made a significant move on Sunday. He decided to join the Maharashtra government led by Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis, gaining the support of at least 29 MLAs.
A total of nine MLAs, along with Pawar, have been inducted into the state cabinet.
Also Read | Ajit Pawar's 'exit' from Maha Vikas Aghadi, NCP: What played behind | A timeline
List of NCP MLAs who took oath as ministers
Ajit Pawar has taken oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. Here is the list of other MLAs:
Chhagan Bhujbal
Hasan Mushrif
Dhananjay Munde
Dilip Walse Patil
Dharmarao Baba Atram
Anil Patil
Sanjay Bansode
MVA government's fall occurred in June of last year
In November 2019, following the Assembly polls and the disagreement between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena, Devendra Fadnavis and NCP's Ajit Pawar were sworn in as the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, respectively, in an early morning ceremony at Raj Bhavan. However, their government lasted for only 80 hours as Pawar failed to divide his party.
Also Read | ‘Principles be damned’: Priyanka Chaturvedi calls BJP ‘political opportunist’ amid Ajit Pawar debacle
Within a month, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray became the chief minister after forming an alliance with the NCP and Congress, resulting in the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Ajit Pawar, who had returned to the NCP, served as deputy chief minister in this government.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government collapsed in June of the following year when Minister Eknath Shinde and 39 MLAs rebelled against Thackeray, leading to a split in the Shiv Sena.
On June 30, Shinde was sworn in as the chief minister with the support of the BJP and Fadnavis was appointed as the deputy chief Minister.
(With inputs from reporters)
