Days after taking oath as the new Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar was set to inaugurate a new NCP office near the state secretariat. But leaders of Ajit Pawar's faction were locked out as keys went missing.They tried to break down the lock so that they could enter the bungalow and prepare it for the inauguration, but the doors of rooms inside were locked too. Party workers resorted to forced entry, alleging that the Public Works Department (PWD) failed to provide them with the keys on time.
The bungalow selected by Ajit Pawar as the party office previously belonged to Ambadas Danve, who serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council and is a supporter of Uddhav Thackeray. However, Mr. Danve has now been allocated a different bungalow to accommodate his needs. According to NCP leader Appa Sawant, the personal assistant of Mr. Danve had stayed overnight at the bungalow. Mr. Sawant, who serves as the vice-president of NCP's Mumbai wing, stated, "We have made all the necessary arrangements inside, but the personal assistant locked up and left. We have contacted him, and he informed us that he is on his way to Mantralaya and will hand over the keys to us." Mr. Sawant also alleged a conspiracy behind this incident.
Ajit Pawar's predicament with the missing keys occurs on a day when both his faction and his uncle Sharad Pawar's faction are conducting crucial meetings to strategize their next moves. Additionally, the NCP's allies, the Congress and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), are also holding a meeting today to discuss the unexpected developments of the past few days.While both camps claim to represent the authentic NCP, they have not disclosed the number of supporting MLAs they possess.In response to the rebellion within the party, Sharad Pawar has taken strong action by dismissing prominent leaders like Praful Patel, who participated in the ceremony where Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joined the government led by Eknath Shinde. The faction led by Sharad Pawar has formally lodged a petition with Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar, urging the disqualification of Ajit Pawar and his loyalists.