Rebellions 'not new': Sharad Pawar

A day after high-voltage drama in the NCP, Sharad Pawar is scheduled to visit the Yashwant Chavan Samadhi and pay tribute to late YB Chavan, the first CM of Maharashtra. Pawar has convened a meeting of the party on July 5 to discuss the latest developments. In a press conference yesterday, the senior politician said that he was not perturbed by the rebellion in his party and that they weren't new for him. "In 1980, the party I was leading had 58 MLAs but a month later all but six had left the party. But then I went out to the state and built the party and in the next elections it went to 69 and those who had left the party and those who had quit almost all of them lost barring 3-4," he said.

NCP moves disqualification plea against Ajit Pawar, 8 rebel MLAs

The NCP has moved a disqualification petition against Ajit Pawar and eight other 'rebel' MLAs who have been sworn-in to the Eknath Shinde-led state government, the party's Maharashtra president Jayant Patil announced late on Sunday. He added that the disqualification petition has been sent to Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narvekar.

Sharad Pawar loyalist replaces Ajit as LoP

Soon after Ajit Pawar switched sides, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday evening appointed his trusted aide, Jitendra Awhad, as the new Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly. Awhad is now also the NCP Chief Whip in the House.

What happened on Sunday?

Ajit Pawar had taken oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra on Sunday afternoon, hours after he held a meeting of some NCP leaders at his residence in the morning. The ex-NCP leader took eight MLAs with him to the BJP-Shiv Sena government. Chaggan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Dhananjay Munde, Hasan Mushri, Dharmobaba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode, and Anil Patil were also sworn in as state ministers. The shift came after rumours of Ajit Pawar's discontentment with the NCP, which had deepened further after he was not considered for the position of the party's state unit president.

Ajit Pawar claims support of all NCP MLAs

Although he claimed to have the backing of 40 of the NCP's 53 MLAs, only 16 or 17 were in attendance when Ajit Pawar was sworn in at the Raj Bhavan. Sources close to Ajit claimed that more than two-third NCP legislators have signed the letter of support to him and that the number is "more than 36." On the other hand, Awhad countered such claims, saying that they mean nothing. "The only leader of the NCP is Sharad Pawar. Let him call each MLA; then we will talk," he said. Sources in the party, however, pointed out that a conflict between the two factions is inevitable in near future. “If each side is going to claim itself as the real NCP, the conflict is set to spill out in the open. Irrespective of the maturity of leaders, the party workers will not accept (any ambiguity),” a party leader said.

Why Ajit Pawar's rise may be a bitter pill to swallow for Eknath Shinde

The development could be a bitter pill to swallow for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Shiv Sena faction led by him, as the party will not only have to share power with a third partner but also lose its instrumentality to the BJP in running the state government. With nine NCP MLAs joining the Cabinet and claims by the Ajit Pawar camp of having support of 40 more, the 14 remaining vacancies in the state Cabinet are up for grabs between the NCP and the Shiv Sena. This is being seen as a possible road for disgruntlement in the Shinde camp.

BJP endorsement of Ajit Pawar came at Amit Shah’s meeting with Shinde, Fadnavis

Though discussions between the BJP and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar were on for some time, sources said the decision to include him and NCP MLAs backing him in Maharashtra’s ruling alliance was finalised at a meeting that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi last week. Shortly after he took oath, Ajit Pawar stated that he along with other MLAs will fight all future elections with the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Eknath Shinde will be disqualified soon: Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said that Sharad Pawar hastold him he has the support of the people and will rebuild everything with Uddhav Thackeray. "People will not tolerate this game for long," Raut tweeted. On Sunday, Raut had alleged that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other 16 Sena rebel MLAs will be disqualified soon. "The government will become unstable and hence this new support (NCP MLAs) has been taken. One engine (of the government) is about to break down and hence another engine (in the form of Ajit Pawar) has been attached. CM Shinde will be disqualified soon. He will lose the CM post and soon the state will get a new CM," Raut had claimed.

A blow to Opposition unity

The splits in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi alliance may deal significant damage to efforts towards Opposition unity. Sharad Pawar is considered one of the lynchpins of the Opposition’s efforts to come together against the BJP ahead of the general elections. But with 40 of NCP’s 53 MLAs backing Ajit, Pawar may not be left with much electoral heft and that will be a body blow to the Opposition’s larger plans.

This is the fifth time that Ajit Pawar has taken oath as deputy CM of Maharashtra. Earlier in 2019, he had joined hands with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and had taken an oath as the state’s deputy CM with the latter as the chief minister. However, his rebellion from the NCP had not lasted for more than three days at the time and Pawar had returned to the NCP fold. This time, Fadnavis is also a deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.

NCP split: Sharad Pawar’s show of strength in Karad, and all you need to know

In a show of strength, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar Monday visited the Yashvantrao Chavan memorial in Maharashtra’s Karad, just a day after Ajit Pawar’s rebellion led to a rift in the party on Sunday.

Sharad Pawar’s nephew and veteran NCP leader Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy chief minister in the BJP-Shiv Sena state government on Sunday. Pawar took eight other NCP MLAs with him and announced that this faction will contest all future elections using the NCP’s name and symbol.

Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar indicated that he was “not worried” and said that he would counter Ajit’s rebellion in the people’s court, but did not make mention of any legal battle.

“I am not worried. I am going to step out tomorrow to Karad. I will travel the state and country and connect with people. This is my strategy for the future. I am going to reach out to the public,” the 82-year-old political stalwart said.

Here’s a primer on the top developments in the shift in Maharashtra’s politics:

01
Rebellions 'not new': Sharad Pawar
A day after high-voltage drama in the NCP, Sharad Pawar is scheduled to visit the Yashwant Chavan Samadhi and pay tribute to late YB Chavan, the first CM of Maharashtra.

Pawar has convened a meeting of the party on July 5 to discuss the latest developments. In a press conference yesterday, the senior politician said that he was not perturbed by the rebellion in his party and that they weren't new for him.

"In 1980, the party I was leading had 58 MLAs but a month later all but six had left the party. But then I went out to the state and built the party and in the next elections it went to 69 and those who had left the party and those who had quit almost all of them lost barring 3-4," he said.
02
NCP moves disqualification plea against Ajit Pawar, 8 rebel MLAs
The NCP has moved a disqualification petition against Ajit Pawar and eight other 'rebel' MLAs who have been sworn-in to the Eknath Shinde-led state government, the party's Maharashtra president Jayant Patil announced late on Sunday.

He added that the disqualification petition has been sent to Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narvekar.
03
Sharad Pawar loyalist replaces Ajit as LoP
Soon after Ajit Pawar switched sides, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday evening appointed his trusted aide, Jitendra Awhad, as the new Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.

Awhad is now also the NCP Chief Whip in the House.
04
What happened on Sunday?
Ajit Pawar had taken oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra on Sunday afternoon, hours after he held a meeting of some NCP leaders at his residence in the morning. The ex-NCP leader took eight MLAs with him to the BJP-Shiv Sena government.

Chaggan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Dhananjay Munde, Hasan Mushri, Dharmobaba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode, and Anil Patil were also sworn in as state ministers.

The shift came after rumours of Ajit Pawar's discontentment with the NCP, which had deepened further after he was not considered for the position of the party's state unit president.
05
Ajit Pawar claims support of all NCP MLAs
Although he claimed to have the backing of 40 of the NCP's 53 MLAs, only 16 or 17 were in attendance when Ajit Pawar was sworn in at the Raj Bhavan.

Sources close to Ajit claimed that more than two-third NCP legislators have signed the letter of support to him and that the number is "more than 36."

On the other hand, Awhad countered such claims, saying that they mean nothing. "The only leader of the NCP is Sharad Pawar. Let him call each MLA; then we will talk," he said.

Sources in the party, however, pointed out that a conflict between the two factions is inevitable in near future. “If each side is going to claim itself as the real NCP, the conflict is set to spill out in the open. Irrespective of the maturity of leaders, the party workers will not accept (any ambiguity),” a party leader said.
06
Why Ajit Pawar's rise may be a bitter pill to swallow for Eknath Shinde
The development could be a bitter pill to swallow for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Shiv Sena faction led by him, as the party will not only have to share power with a third partner but also lose its instrumentality to the BJP in running the state government.

With nine NCP MLAs joining the Cabinet and claims by the Ajit Pawar camp of having support of 40 more, the 14 remaining vacancies in the state Cabinet are up for grabs between the NCP and the Shiv Sena. This is being seen as a possible road for disgruntlement in the Shinde camp.
07
BJP endorsement of Ajit Pawar came at Amit Shah’s meeting with Shinde, Fadnavis
Though discussions between the BJP and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar were on for some time, sources said the decision to include him and NCP MLAs backing him in Maharashtra’s ruling alliance was finalised at a meeting that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi last week.

Shortly after he took oath, Ajit Pawar stated that he along with other MLAs will fight all future elections with the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
08
Eknath Shinde will be disqualified soon: Sanjay Raut
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said that Sharad Pawar hastold him he has the support of the people and will rebuild everything with Uddhav Thackeray. "People will not tolerate this game for long," Raut tweeted.

On Sunday, Raut had alleged that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other 16 Sena rebel MLAs will be disqualified soon.

"The government will become unstable and hence this new support (NCP MLAs) has been taken. One engine (of the government) is about to break down and hence another engine (in the form of Ajit Pawar) has been attached. CM Shinde will be disqualified soon. He will lose the CM post and soon the state will get a new CM," Raut had claimed.
09
A blow to Opposition unity
The splits in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi alliance may deal significant damage to efforts towards Opposition unity.

Sharad Pawar is considered one of the lynchpins of the Opposition’s efforts to come together against the BJP ahead of the general elections. But with 40 of NCP’s 53 MLAs backing Ajit, Pawar may not be left with much electoral heft and that will be a body blow to the Opposition’s larger plans.
10
Rewind to 2019
This is the fifth time that Ajit Pawar has taken oath as deputy CM of Maharashtra. Earlier in 2019, he had joined hands with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and had taken an oath as the state’s deputy CM with the latter as the chief minister. However, his rebellion from the NCP had not lasted for more than three days at the time and Pawar had returned to the NCP fold.

This time, Fadnavis is also a deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.