Maharashtra is witnessing political unrest since May 2022. After Shiv Sena split last year, Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar with his allies joined the government in July 2023 and took oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Recently, there were speculations of Ajit Pawar joining the Bharatiya Janata Party and might become Chief Minister as well. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis has issued a clarification and said there won’t be any changes in the leadership in the state. In two weeks this is the second time Fadnavis has clarified the rumours.
Since the Nationalist Congress Party MLAs joined the BJP in Maharashtra, rumours have been rampant. They gained strength when NCP activists celebrated Ajit Pawar's birthday on July 22 by putting up sizable posters asserting that he would be the next chief minister. The posters were placed along the way from Devgiri, Ajit Pawar's official residence, to Varsha in Malabar Hills, Shinde's official residence.
"The current state of the leadership will not alter. We three will stay right there where we are now. I'm happy with my situation and have fun at work. Have excellent coworkers and no plans to do anything else," Fadnavis stated in the Legislative Assembly.
He made these remarks during a resolution to congratulate Vijay Wadettiwar on his appointment as the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly.
विधानसभेतील विरोधी पक्षनेते म्हणून आज विजय वडेट्टीवार यांच्या नावाची घोषणा विधानसभा अध्यक्षांनी केली. त्यांचे अभिनंदन करताना विधानसभेत व्यक्त केलेले मनोगत....
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) August 3, 2023
एकच आश्र्वस्त करतो या नव्या विरोधी पक्षनेत्यांना सभागृहाचे मुद्देसूद उत्तर मिळेल. माझ्यावेळी मात्र 'शिवाजी पार्क'टाईप… pic.twitter.com/NR1WWTiQEC
Fadnavis described how all three of them - CM Eknath Shinde, Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar - have changed positions since 2019 while taking part in a dialogue that Shinde had started. "As everyone is aware, 2019 was significant and perhaps broke records. I was sworn in as the CM, then I became LoP, and now I'm sitting here as Deputy CM. Shinde Ji was a minister before becoming the CM. Pawar Ji joined me in becoming Deputy CM, afterward rose to become the leader of the opposition, and is now seated among us,” he remarked, later adding that nothing will alter regarding this arrangement.
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Earlier Congress leader and former CM Prithviraj Chavan claimed that Ajit Pawar will be appointed as the CM, replacing Eknath Shinde. He stated that the BJP does not want to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections under Shinde as he has limited influence outside the Thane region.
Fadnavis cleared the air and said to reporters, “It is pretty much clear among the BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena that Eknath Shinde is the CM of ‘Mahayuti’ and he will remain the CM. There will not be any change. Predictions made by ‘Prithvi Baba’ about Pawar becoming the CM will not come true.”
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