In Maharashtra, the question within NCP — what post will Ajit Pawar get?

Sources said a section of NCP leaders believe that Ajit Pawar should be considered for key portfolios such as Home or Finance.

Ajit Pawar with senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Kapil Sibal at Shivaji Park. (Express Photo by Pradip Das)

Even as the Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena alliance assumed power in the state on Thursday, the NCP is still grappling with the question of how to handle Ajit Pawar’s break and subsequent return to the party fold, said highly-placed sources. The NCP has not so far announced its decision on who will fill the deputy chief minister’s post along with crucial portfolios.

“Ideally, Ajit Pawar is the rightful claimant for the deputy chief minister’s post in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. But the political misadventure that saw him shaking hands with BJP and taking the oath of office as deputy chief minister proved fatal. Although he has returned to the organisation, it is difficult for him to get the same post now,” said a senior NCP leader.

Ajit had on Thursday said, “I was and am very much in the party. But I am not taking the oath today. All the issues related to posts and portfolios will be known shortly.”

Sources said a section of NCP leaders believe that Ajit should be considered for key portfolios such as Home or Finance.

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“Even after the revolt, Ajit remains an important mass leader. Within the organisation, he has a crucial role to play when it comes to handling the legislatures,” said a party leader.

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Express Cartoon by EP Unny.

Another senior functionary, requesting anonymity, said, “(Sharad) Pawar saheb is unlikely to give in to all his (Ajit’s) wishes. He has to convey a message that anybody who defies the party order will have to pay some price.”

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At the same time, senior leaders believe they cannot stretch the matter to its breaking point, said sources. Their challenge is to strike the right balance within the party.

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Senior NCP leaders also recalled the tussle between Ajit and Jayant Patil in 2009. After the 2009 Assembly polls, Patil, who had until then held key portfolios such as Home and Finance, was given Rural Development. Whereas Dilip Walse Patil, another senior leader who had till then held portfolios such as Power, Higher Medical Education and Finance was instead made Speaker of the Assembly.

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