At a meeting with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday at his residence, Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale stated that Pawar's support for the NDA will further weaken the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
Athawale, who heads the Republican Party of India (A), said it was a courtesy visit after Pawar became the deputy CM of the state. Speaking to reporters after meeting the deputy CM, Athawale said, Ajit Pawar's support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has increased the strength (of the ruling side) in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly to more than 200. His support will result in the MVA getting weakened further.
MVA comprises the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction and the Congress. In a surprise move on July 2nd NCP leader Ajit Pawar who was also the Maharashtra Leader of Opposition joined the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra and took oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister. The move by NCP chief Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar, which also saw eight other NCP MLAs joining the Shinde-Fadnavis government, came amid efforts by opposition parties to forge unity to take on the BJP in the next year's Lok Sabha polls.