Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP on Thursday targeted Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for travelling to Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Ambadas Danve, Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Council, said Mr Pawar himself used to criticize BJP leaders that they had to go to Delhi for taking decisions." Now the same Ajit Pawar, who had an aura of his own, has to bow before the Delhi Durbar (rulers in Delhi)," said the Sena (UBT) leader. Ajit Pawar and senior NCP leader Praful Patel met Shah on Wednesday for the first time since they split the Sharad Pawar-led party and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government. Mr Patel termed it a courtesy call.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, "Since when Maharashtra's leadership started going to Delhi? When the Congress was in power and the Delhi high command gave orders, you criticised it. What has changed? For decision on anything from cabinet expansion to portfolio allocation, the once self-respecting leaders have to go to Delhi." Sharad Pawar-led NCP's Mahesh Tapase said it was surprising that a leader of Ajit Pawar's stature had to travel to Delhi to meet the BJP top brass amidst the deadlock over portfolio allocation in the state.But Sanjay Shirsat, a leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, said Pawar and Patel paid a courtesy visit to Shah as the BJP leader was the mastermind behind the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP alliance. The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, witnessed a split recently with Ajit Pawar joining the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government in Maharashtra.
This is the second time Ajit Pawar has joined as deputy chief minister after he did so in 2019 for a few hours.On Tuesday, senior Congress leaders from Maharashtra held a meeting with the party leadership in New Delhi, to discuss the political situation in the state, in the wake of the split in the Sharad Pawar-led NCP.The Congress has now emerged as the largest opposition party in Maharashtra and has staked claim to the post of Leader of Opposition in the state assembly. The deliberations come after a faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar switched over to join hands with the NDA.