Devendra Fadnavis advises restraint as NCP netas talk of 'Ajit as CM'

Mumbai: Within a month of joining the Eknath Shinde Sena-BJP alliance, the Ajit Pawar faction of NCP has started projecting Ajit as the chief minister and has claimed that this was also the wish of the BJP's leadership. The Shinde camp is now getting upset with these comments and has warned that these could cause problems in the three-party alliance. Following the statements and the anger displayed by the Shinde camp, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked the NCP ministers and MLAs to restrain themselves and stop issuing such statements that cause "confusion".

"From the person on the street to the Delhi leadership, everyone feels that Ajit Pawar should be the chief minister. Who are all these leaders in Delhi...I don't need to explain. Everyone feels that 'dada' Ajit should be the chief minister," said Anil Patil, NCP minister for Relief and Rehabilitation. Patil made it clear through his statements that the Delhi leadership he was referring to was the BJP leadership.

He added that they were not seeking a leadership change now. "We want Ajit to be the chief minister. However, for that, we need 145 MLAs and if we have that then, of course, Ajit Pawar will be the CM 100%. Now, we don't have the numbers. Hence, we are with the Shinde government," he said.


While Patil and other NCP leaders expressed their desire to see Ajit Pawar become the CM, the Eknath Shinde camp is riled with Patil's claim that the BJP leadership is also keen on Ajit becoming the CM.