'No Displeasure': Shinde-led Sena on Resentment Buzz After Ajit Pawar's Entry Into Maha Cabinet

The Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena met on Wednesday to discuss the political situation after Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) joined the Maharashtra government.

Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant refuted rumours of Shinde’s resignation as the chief minister and there was no displeasure among their MLAs following the induction of Ajit and eight other NCP legislators into the state cabinet.

A meeting of Shinde Sena was held at the CM’s Varsha bungalow in Mumbai.

Divulging details of the meeting, Samant said, “Under the leadership of CM Eknath Shinde, there was a meeting regarding upcoming session of the Lok Sabha, the session of Maharashtra Vidhansabha, what MLAs, MPs, MLCs should do in future, how to do development work, how to grow the organisation…”

“There was no displeasure among our MLAs anywhere (regarding Ajit Pawar’s arrival), we all have faith in Eknath Shinde…information about his (Eknath Shinde’s) resignation are rumours…All MPs and MLAs elections will be held under the leadership of Eknath Shinde…”

Earlier on Tuesday, the core committee of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena discussed the political situation in Maharashtra after recent developments.

Shiv Sena has ten ministers in the present cabinet including Chief Minister Shinde while the BJP has an equal number of ministers. With Sunday’s inclusion of nine NCP MLAs, the number of ministers rose to 29, while the state can have a total of 43 ministers as per the constitutional limit.

The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, witnessed a split on Sunday with Ajit Pawar, claiming the support of over 40 MLAs and joining the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government in Maharashtra. Nine NCP MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, were sworn in as ministers in the Maharashtra government at a surprise cabinet expansion on Sunday. Ajit Pawar, with senior party leaders Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Dilip Walse Patil by his side, asserted to be the real NCP.