The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT)'s official newspaper Saamna claimed that NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who has been sworn in as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, would replace Chief Minister Eknath Shinde soon."Pawar has not gone there for the deputy CM's post. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and rebel MLAs of the Sena would be disqualified soon and Pawar would be coronated," it claimed.
This new development will not go down well with the people of the state. The state had no such political tradition and it will never be supported by the people, it said.Ajit Pawar's somersault is actually dangerous for CM Shinde, the Marathi daily claimed.It said when Shinde and other MLAs left the Shiv Sena (last year), they blamed the party president and (then) chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for not controlling then finance minister Ajit Pawar who had taken immense control over fund disbursement and sanctioning work orders. "The primary reason according to the rebel MLAs was 'we left the Shiv Sena because of the NCP'," the editorial said.What will they do now? During the swearing-in ceremony (of Ajit Pawar on Sunday), the expressions on their faces (of Shinde bloc members) made it evident that their future is dark, it claimed."Their so-called Hindutva is now over. The day is not very far when Shinde and his rebel colleagues will be disqualified, is the true meaning of Sunday's development,” the Marathi publication further claimed.Those who possess the arrogance of power and believe they can buy out their opposition are taking control of democracy. These people are not even ready to hold elections for 14 municipal corporations in the state, including Mumbai city, it said."The (previous) Congress regime and the British rule were much better as one could fight with them on the street openly. Ajit Pawar has not taken the decision to support Shinde on any moral ground," it added.The editorial also hit out at BJP leader and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, claiming he had said they will never join hands with NCP, "the party of corrupts" and that Ajit Pawar was facing allegations in an irrigation scam worth Rs 70,000 crore.