Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vinayak Raut on Sunday said that if Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar aspires to become the chief minister, he must return to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Raut asserted that Pawar cannot become the chief minister in the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
The ruling coalition of Mahayuti comprises the BJP, Pawar’s NCP and the Shiv Sena, headed by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. Congress, Sena (UBT) under Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar-headed NCP (SP) are the constituents of the opposition bloc MVA.
'Ajit Pawar can never be the CM in the current alliance': Raut
"Ajit Pawar can never be the CM in the alliance he is currently in. If he has to become the CM, he must return to the MVA. Instead of dreaming about becoming the CM, he must come to a place where he can get that opportunity," Raut said.
Raut currently serves as the secretary of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction. He has also represented Maharashtra's Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg constituency in the Lok Sabha for two terms in the past.
Pawar had joined the Eknath Shinde-led cabinet in 2023
In 2023, Pawar broke away from the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and joined the Eknath Shinde-led cabinet, along with eight other NCP leaders. Following the split, he secured control over the party's name and its 'clock' symbol.
Ajit Pawar is known to be Maharashtra’s longest-serving deputy CM, having occupied the post six times in the past.
He has publicly spoken about his chief ministerial ambitions in the past.
In last year's assembly elections, the Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP (132 seats), NCP (41 seats), and Shiv Sena (57 seats), secured a strong majority by winning 230 out of 288 seats, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was left with just 46.
Cold war between Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar
Notably, a cold war appears to be brewing between Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, with both leaders deliberately avoiding each other’s events.
Just two days ago, Ajit Pawar hosted a program in Mumbai to honor a former Chief Minister. Reportedly, he conveyed a message to Shinde requesting that if he couldn't attend, he should refrain from sending a representative, as the event was meant to honor a former CM.
Yesterday, the Tourism Department organised a program in Satara district, spearheaded by a Shiv Sena minister. The Chief Minister's cabinet colleagues and nominees were also invited. Although Ajit Pawar had a busy schedule, he still made time to attend. In contrast, a Shiv Sena leader attended the event as Shinde’s representative.
Sources close to Shinde said that he could not attend because he had to attend another event in Amravati to honor a former colleague.
Finance Minister Shambhuraj Desai remarked that it would have been better if all coalition partners had personally attended the event.
(With PTI inputs)
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