Mumbai (Maharashtra): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his counterpart Ajit Pawar, who rebelled from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) called on state Chief Minister Eknath Shinde late on Monday night. Sources said that the meeting was held at 'Varsha', the official residence of the Chief Minister, where all three leaders discussed power-sharing.
Ajit Pawar, the MLA from Baramati, a stronghold of the Pawar family, had orchestrated a coup in the NCP after he joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena BJP government in Maharashtra on Sunday, July 2. Eight other expelled NCP MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode, and Anil Patil, took oath as Maharashtra Ministers. However, they are still to be allocated portfolios by the Chief Minister.
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The Chief Minister had said that their double-engine government had a third engine and it has the support of over 200 MLAs. The CM also had said that his government was backed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Following the revolt by Ajit Pawar, his uncle and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar embarked on a statewide tour from Yeola in Nashik district, the bastion of Chhagan Bhujbal. The Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP has expelled all nine legislators, including Ajit Pawar, and the decision was ratified by the national executive meeting recently held in New Delhi.
Sources had said that Ajit Pawar was likely to get the key Finance portfolio, which is currently handled by Devendra Fadnavis.
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