NEW DELHI: In a surprising turn of events, nine Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs including senior leader Ajit Pawar have taken oath as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government.

Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the deputy chief minister.See Also: Maharashtra News Live UpdatesThis is the third time in four years that Ajit Pawar has taken oath as the state's deputy CM.Read AlsoRevolts - reconciliations: Why Ajit Pawar's surprise move wasn't unexpectedNEW DELHI: NCP leader Ajit Pawar and 8 other party MLAs joined the Maharashtra government on Sunday and took oath as ministers.

The surprise move, though not totally unexpected, has led to yet another political realignment in the state.

For long, speculation was rife that Ajit Pawar would break awayMaharashtra will get another CM in a few days: Sanjay Raut after Ajit Pawar joins Shinde govtSoon after Ajit Pawar took oath as the Deputy CM of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday took a dig at Maharashtra's Chief Minister and claimed that Maharashtra will get another Chief Minister in a few days, adding that "Eknath Shinde and the 16 MLAs that forged an alliance with theNCP numbers game: Amid claims of majority support by Ajit Pawar camp, Awhad says wait for Sharad Pawar's moveNewly-appointed Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Jitendra Awhad said the number of NCP MLAs with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will be clear once party supremo Sharad Pawar starts "calling up" legislators.Awhad, who was appointed LoP in the Assembly after incumbent LoP Ajit PawarDid Patna opposition meeting trigger split in NCP?NEW DELHI: In a stunning twist and tales of Maharashtra politics, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)'s senior leader Ajit Pawar on Sunday joined the Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra and took oath as the deputy chief minister of the state.

Reports suggest that the MLAs accompanying AjitAjit Pawar becomes new deputy CM: Maharashtra sees four oath-taking ceremonies since 2019MUMBAI: The swearing-in of Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar and several of his colleagues as deputy chief minister and ministers, respectively, on Sunday has meant Maharashtra has seen four oath-taking ceremonies in as many years at its stately Raj Bhavan.

In November 2019, after theMaharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule claimed 40 of 53 NCP MLAs are supporting the state government.Some MLAs accompanying Ajit Pawar to Raj Bhawan were “upset” with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar’s “unilateral” decision to share stage and ally with Rahul Gandhi at the opposition unity meet in Patna.The political development comes a year after a revolt led by Shinde against the Shiv Sena (then undivided) led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

On June 30, 2022, Shinde was sworn in as the CM with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as the deputy CM.Here are the key developments:It is not googly, it is a robbery: Sharad PawarDuring a press conference over the developments, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that Ajit Pawar and other NCP MLAs joining the Shinde government was a robbery.

"It is not googly, it is a robbery.

It is not an easy thing.

The allegations levelled by Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) against the party ...

Now (he) has done an important work of exonerating some of the leaders from those allegations," Pawar said.

He was replying to a query whether the surprising move by nine NCP leaders was a game-plan of the BJP or a googly that he talked about recently.40 MLAs supporting Ajit: Letter to Raj Bhavan NCP leader Ajit Pawar has the support of more than 40 MLAs and over six MLCs of his party, sources claimed citing a letter submitted to Raj Bhavan.

NCP has 53 MLAs and nine MLCs."Ajit Pawar has the support of more than 40 MLAs and more than six MLCs.

A letter of support of these legislators was given to Raj Bhavan," the source told PTI.Kharge, Rahul speak with Sharad Pawar, extend supportCongress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi spoke with NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday and extended support to him, after the Maharashtra strongman faced a revolt by his nephew Ajit Pawar who along eight other leaders joined the Eknath Shinde-led government.The Congress said that the BJP's "washing machine" has resumed its operations as a number of these leaders had been facing serious corruption charges and have now got a "clean chit".Congress president Kharge and Gandhi spoke with NCP president Sharad Pawar and extended support to him, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said on Twitter."The BJP's dirty tricks department is working on overdrive in Maharashtra.

This is not a legitimately elected government, but an ED-facilitated power grab.

The Maharashtra government is a product of corruption and sin," Venugopal alleged.Wait for Sharad Pawar's move: AwhadNewly appointed LoP Jitendra Awhad said the number of NCP MLAs with junior Pawar will be clear once party supremo Sharad Pawar starts "calling up" legislators.A close aide of Ajit Pawar said at least 36 out of 53 NCP MLAs have extended support to the new deputy CM and the numbers could go to 46 in a few days time.When queried about such claims, Awhad said: "Wait till Sharad Pawar gets active fully, once he starts dialling numbers of his MLAs."Maharashtra will get another CM in a few days: Sanjay RautSoon after Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy CM of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday took a dig at Maharashtra's CM and claimed that Maharashtra will get another CM in a few days, adding that "Eknath Shinde and the 16 MLAs that forged an alliance with the BJP will be disqualified"."We already knew that this was going to happen.

Eknath Shinde and the 16 MLAs that went with him will be disqualified.

Maharashtra will get another CM in a few days," Raut said while addressing the reporters in Mumbai on the political developments in the state.NCP appoints Awhad as LoP in Maha AssemblyThe Nationalist Congress Party appointed Jitendra Awhad as Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly after incumbent LoP Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde government as deputy chief minister on Sunday.

Awhad said NCP state unit president Jayant Patil had appointed him chief whip of the party and LoP in the Assembly."All the MLAs will have to abide my whip," he asserted in an apparent reference to defection and disqualification angles that are bound to come up in connection with Sunday's developments brought about by a vertical split in the NCP.Queried on Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation probes against some NCP leaders and its role in them switching sides, Awhad said, "I don't see any other reason behind these leaders deciding to join the state government.

There was no need to do such a thing.

Those leaders could have sat aside."Credit goes to PM Modi: NCP chiefNCP chief Sharad Pawar said he will never say that his home has been split, "This issue is not regarding my home, this is the issue of people.

I am worried about the future of those who left.

I want to give the credit for this to PM Modi.

Two days ago, he had made statements [on corruption] and after that statement, some people started feeling uneasy, some of them were also facing ED actions."02:45“Almost entire NCP will be joining...,” says Maharashtra Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar"From this (joining the NDA government) it is clear that all the charges have been cleared [against the MLAs who joined]," said Pawar.This is not a new thing ...

will hold pubic meeting on July 3: Sharad PawarIn his first reaction to several NCP MLAs taking oath in the Shinde government, Sharad Pawar said: "This is not a new thing.

The party I was leading in 1980 had 58 MLAs, later all left and only 6 MLAs were left, but I strengthened the numbers and those who left me lost in their constituencies.""I am receiving several calls from a lot of people, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, WB CM Mamata Banerjee and others have called me.

I am not worried about whatever happened today.

Tomorrow, I will take the blessings of YB Chavan (former Maharashtra CM) and will hold a public meeting," he said."I had called a meeting of all the leaders on July 6 where some important issue was to be discussed and some changes were to be made within the party but before that meeting, some of the leaders have taken a different stand ...

From this (joining the NDA government) it is clear that all the charges have been cleared [against the MLAs who joined]," said Pawar."In the next two-three days, we will sit with Congress and Uddhav Thackeray to access the situation," said the NCP supremo.He added that the NCP MLAs and all senior leaders will sit together to decide about any action against the rebel leaders.

"Being the president, I had appointed Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare but they did not follow their responsibilities.

Therefore, I have to take some action against them," he said.We will fight with the BJP: Ajit PawarShortly after taking oath, newly appointed Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar said, "Today, we have decided to support the Maharashtra government and took oath as ministers.

There will be a discussion on the portfolios later.

Considering all aspects at the national level, we thought that we should support development.""The country is progressing under the leadership of PM Modi.

He is also popular in other countries.

Everyone supports him and appreciates his leadership.

We will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections with them (BJP) and that is why we have taken this decision," Pawar added.Party sources said Ajit Pawar has the backing of more than 40 MLAs in Vidhan Sabha and more than 6 MLCs in Vidhan Parishad."Several people will criticise now a bit.

We don't give value to that and we will keep working for the progress of Maharashtra and that is why we have taken this decision.

Most of our MLAs are satisfied with this.

We have supported this govt with NCP.

We will contest all elections in the name of NCP only," he said, adding: "If we can go with BJP in Nagaland then why can't we go with BJP here also.

We will do everything for the betterment of Maharashtra."No split in NCP: BhujabalAfter being sworn in as a minister in the Shinde government, NCP leader Chhagan Bhujabal said: "We have joined the government as its third party.

Few people are saying that we have split the party but that is not correct.

We have come here as NCP.

We have also criticised the Modi govt on many occasions but it is true that the country is safe in his hands""They (opposition) are saying that we are here because we have cases against us and we are under pressure.

Most of us either no longer have cases against us or the investigations are underway.

The court has not taken any coercive steps against us because there is nothing concrete against us.

So saying that we joined because we were under pressure is not correct," he added.We are now a triple-engine government: ShindeAfter the induction of 9 NCP MLAs as ministers, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said the double-engine government has now become triple-engine."Now we have 1 Chief Minister and 2 Deputy Chief Ministers.

The double-engine government has now become triple engine and now it will run like a bullet train.

For the development of Maharashtra, I welcome Ajit Pawar and his leaders.

Ajit Pawar's experience will help strengthen Maharashtra," Shinde said.Further talking about seat-sharing in the cabinet, CM Shinde said that there is enough time to discuss about it."There is enough time to discuss about the seat sharing in the cabinet.

We have come together to develop Maharashtra.

They (the opposition) got 4-5 seats in Lok Sabha elections, this time they will not manage to get even those number of seats", CM Shinde said.Sharad Pawar undeterred: Sanjay RautShiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said NCP supremo Sharad Pawar is undeterred by the split in his party and can start afresh.

03:20Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar reaches Raj Bhawan, to join Shinde govt along with 9 MLAsIn a tweet, Raut said: "I just spoke with NCP Sharad Pawar.

He said he is firm and people's support is behind us.

We can make a fresh start with Uddhav Thackeray."Raut said people of Maharashtra will not tolerate such a "circus", an apparent reference to government formation through vertical splits in political parties, for long.

Part of operation Lotus: NCP spokespersonNationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said the oath taken by nine NCP MLAs as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government does not have official support of the party.

In a video message, Tapase said NCP's party workers, district president, taluka president, youth and women are with party's national leader Sharad Pawar.

"The oath-taking ceremony in Maharashtra was part of Operation Lotus and it has no official support of the NCP.

Those who took oath, it is their personal decision and not that of the NCP," he said.Fourth oath-taking ceremony since 2019The latest swearing-in ceremony of NCP leader Ajit Pawar and several of his colleagues on Sunday has meant Maharashtra has seen four oath-taking ceremonies in as many years at its stately Raj Bhavan.In November 2019, after the Assembly polls and the split between the BJP and the Shiv Sena, Devendra Fadnavis and NCP's Ajit Pawar were sworn in as CM and deputy CM, respectively, in an early morning ceremony in Raj Bhavan.The government lasted just 80 hours as Pawar was unable to cause a split in his party.Within a month, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as CM after his party joined hands with the NCP and Congress to form the Maha Vikas Agahdi government.Incidentally, Ajit Pawar, who had returned to the NCP, was the deputy CM in this government as well.The MVA government fell in June last year after minister Eknath Shinde and 39 MLAs revolted against Thackeray and split the Shiv Sena.Shinde was sworn in as CM on June 30 with the support of the BJP.

This time, Fadnavis as made deputy CM.While Bhagat Singh Koshyari was the governor when the first three oath-taking ceremonies took place, Sunday's political developments have come when Ramesh Bais is occupying the gubernatorial chair.Assembly polls in Maharashtra are likely to be held around October next year, some months after the Lok Sabha elections.Ajit Pawar meets NCP leadersEarlier in the day, Ajit Pawar had met some party leaders and MLAs at his official residence in Mumbai.

NCP president Sharad Pawar, who was in Pune, said he was unaware of the meet, but added that Ajit Pawar, as leader of opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra Assembly, can call a meeting of legislators.Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal and party's working president Supriya Sule were among the leaders present at the meeting.(With inputs from agencies)WatchAjit Pawar claims support of 'almost all NCP MLAs', lauds Modi govt as he joins state govt