The first cabinet meeting of the three-parties coalition between Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP led by Ajit Pawar was held today. There was nothing new as such. We and Chief Minister Shinde have worked together in the cabinet. We have experience for the cabinet. Most of them were ministers in that cabinet. BJP also has some ministers, like Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil - when he was in Congress, I worked with him. So it is nothing new. All works are properly going on. You should not worry at all, the majority of (NCP) MLAs are with me, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said after the state cabinet meeting.
Two days post the vertical split in the NCP, the drama has intensified. NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday announced the expulsion of MPs Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel for “anti-party activities”. This came after Patel ‘removed’ Jayant Patil as Maharashtra NCP president and ‘appointed’ Tatkare as the new state president. Jayant Patil had sent a letter to Ajit Pawar and the other eight party MLAs informing them of disqualification proceedings against them.On Sunday, Jitendra Awhad was made the Leader of Opposition in Assembly replacing Ajit Pawar.