New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Monday claimed that Nationalist Congress Party’s Ajit Pawar will be appointed as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra around August 10. He said a decision on the disqualification of sitting CM Eknath Shinde and 15 other Shiv Sena MLAs would be taken around August 10.
“After taking a decision on the disqualification of Shinde and other MLAs, the current deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar will be appointed as chief minister around August 10,” news agency PTI quoted former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan as saying.
He also said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not Willing to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections under the leadership of Eknath Shinde Because he has ‘no influence’ outside his home district Thane.
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“The BJP now has an alternative in the form of Ajit Pawar,” Chavan said.
He alleged that ‘use and throw’ is the modus operandi of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“It is Shinde’s fate. The understanding of the BJP’s top leadership indicates that they want Ajit Pawar to be the chief minister and face elections,” he said.
It is significant that Ajit, who is the nephew of veteran politician Sharad PawarAnd eight NCP MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government on 2 July. While Junior Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Minister, rebel NCP MLAs took oath as ministers. Senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is also the Deputy Chief Minister.
Both Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde had recently met PM Modi. In the important meeting of NDA in Delhi.
Ajit Pawar will not become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday dismissed Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan’s claim that Ajit Pawar will be appointed as Chief Minister in August replacing Eknath Shinde. Fadnavis said Ajit Pawar was well aware that he would not become the chief minister and this was conveyed to him during meetings held before July 2.
On Chavan’s claim that Ajit Pawar would be appointed as the chief minister around August 10, Fadnavis said the cabinet expansion could happen till that date and nothing else.
“As the leader of the single largest party in the Mahayuti (grand alliance), I am telling you officially that Ajit Pawar will not become the chief minister of Maharashtra,” Fadnavis told reporters at the Vidhan Bhavan complex.
The senior BJP leader said, when the ‘Mahayuti’ meetings were held (before the NCP faction was inducted into the government on July 2), Ajit Pawar was given a clear picture that he would not get the chief minister’s post.
“He (Ajit) not only agreed to it but also made it clear in his speech that there was no discussion on changing the government in Maharashtra,” he said, asserting that Eknath Shinde would continue as CM and there would be no change.
Fadnavis slammed Prithviraj Chavan for allegedly spreading rumours.
He said, “They should stop confusing people about ‘Mahayuti’. Leaders are not confused, but party workers get confused. People like Prithviraj Chavan are spreading rumours. If anything is going to happen by August 10, it will be the expansion of the state cabinet. The CM will take a decision on it.”
Ajit Pawar aspires to become CM
Earlier this month, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had said that he aspired to become the CM of the state.
Ajit Pawar said, “I took oath as Deputy CM five times. This is a record but the vehicle stops there and does not move forward. I feel from the bottom of my heart that I should become the head of the state.” who never hid his chief ministerial ambitionsThis was told in a meeting convened by him at the Mumbai Educational Trust in Mumbai on 5 July.
“I have some things that I want to implement and for that it is necessary to become the chief (CM),” he said.