The NCP leader, who has not hesitated to flaunt his ambitions for chief minister, had split the Sharad Pawar-founded Nationalist Congress Party in 2023 and had joined the BJP-led Mahayuti government.
On Thursday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he and his deputies Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde would work 24/7 shifts. Ajit Pawar will work in the morning since he is an early riser. I am on duty from noon to midnight, while throughout the night… You all know who,” Fadnavis said, referring to Shinde, who was known for working late hours.
He was responding to a debate in the legislative assembly on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his joint address to both Houses of the state legislature during the ongoing Winter Session in Nagpur.
Speaking to Ajit Pawar, Fadnavis said, “You are called ‘permanent deputy CM’… but my wishes are with you… you will be the CM someday.” Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy CM of Maharashtra for the sixth time on December 5.
The NCP leader, who has been vocal about his chief ministerial ambitions, split the Sharad Pawar-founded Nationalist Congress Party in 2023 and joined the BJP-led Mahayuti government.
In the ensuing battle for the party name and its ‘clock’ symbol, his faction won both. His uncle, veteran politician Sharad Pawar, now heads NCP (SP), an ally of the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) under the banner of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.
After a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, in which NCP bagged only one seat, Ajit Pawar’s party made an impressive comeback in the recently held assembly elections, emerging victorious in 41 of the 57 constituencies where it was in the fray.
