New Delhi: In what is seen as a massive political development ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Sunday was sworn in as deputy chief minister in the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government.

Out of the total 53 NCP MLAs in the state, as many as 30 are reportedly with Ajit Pawar

Pawar, who will now share the deputy CM post with Bharatiya Janata Party’s Devendra Fadnavis, took the oath at the Raj Bhavan along with several of his NCP colleagues including senior politician Chhagan Bhujbal.

Ajit Pawar’s sudden oath-taking ceremony came hours after he met some of his party leaders at his official residence in Mumbai. Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal and party’s working president Supriya Sule were among the leaders who were present at the meeting held at Ajit Pawar’s official residence ‘Devgiri’, while state party president Jayant Patil was not present. Some NCP MLAs were also present in the meeting.

Earlier in the day, NCP president Sharad Pawar had said that he was ‘unaware’ of his nephew Ajit Pawar’s meeting, He, however, added that Ajit, who was then the leader of opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra Assembly, can call a meeting of legislators.

Out of the total 53 NCP MLAs in the state, as many as 30 are reportedly with Ajit Pawar.

Ajit Pawar had ion Wednesday announced that he wants to step down as Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra and would like any party post.

While speaking at the party event in Mumbai, he said, “I was never interested in working as Leader of Opposition but accepted the role on demand of the party MLAs. Assign me any post in the party organisation and I will do complete justice to whatever responsibility given to me.”