AMN / MUMBAI / NEW DELHI
In a dramatic turn of event NCP clarified that 50 of its 54 MLAs were back in the Sharad Pawar camp after speculation of a revolt and defections.
Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were sworn in by Koshyari at 8 am at a hush-hush ceremony in Mumbai after dramatic midnight developments, leading to the lifting of President’s Rule in the state.
Ajit Pawar’s volte face created fissures in the NCP, whose chief Sharad Pawar distanced himself from his nephew’s dramatic action, saying the decision to back Fadnavis for his second consecutive term was his personal choice and not that of the party.
Later on Saturday, the NCP removed Ajit Pawar as the party’s legislature unit head, saying his move was not in line with the party’s policies. The decision was taken at the meeting of the party’s legislators where 49 of its 54 MLAs were present, sources said.
After the dramatic early morning swearing-in ceremony, leaders of the Sena and the Congress cried foul, describing the Governor’s action as “a murder of democracy”.
In a stunning turn of events in Maharashtra, BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday returned as chief minister propped up by Ajit Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), who was made his deputy. The development came just hours after the new alliance of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress reached a consensus that Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will be their chief ministerial candidate.