The Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena met on Wednesday to discuss the political situation after Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) joined the Maharashtra government.Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant refuted rumours of Shinde’s resignation as the chief minister and there was no displeasure among their MLAs following the induction of Ajit and eight other NCP legislators into the state cabinet.Divulging details of the meeting, Samant said, “Under the leadership of CM Eknath Shinde, there was a meeting regarding upcoming session of the Lok Sabha, the session of Maharashtra Vidhansabha, what MLAs, MPs, MLCs should do in future, how to do development work, how to grow the organisation…”
“There was no displeasure among our MLAs anywhere (regarding Ajit Pawar’s arrival), we all have faith in Eknath Shinde…information about his (Eknath Shinde’s) resignation are rumours…All MPs and MLAs elections will be held under the leadership of Eknath Shinde…"Echoing Samant's assertion, Maharashtra minister Shambhuraj Desai said, "There is no question of the resignation of CM Eknath Shinde. We have the support of more than 200 MLAs. No leader is unhappy and all have faith in Eknath Shinde's leadership."While Samant and Desai claimed that there was no discontent over the induction of NCP leaders into the cabinet, Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar earlier today said that the move has dented the prospects of ministerial aspirants from BJP and Shiv Sena leaving some of them upset and that the chief minister is aware of this feeling.“The scope of ministerial aspirants from BJP and Shiv Sena minimised after NCP joined the government. This has upset some MLAs. The chief minister is aware of this,” Kirtikar, who shifted his loyalties to CM Shinde a few months ago, told PTI.The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, witnessed a split on Sunday with Ajit Pawar, claiming the support of over 40 MLAs and joining the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government in Maharashtra. Nine NCP MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, were sworn in as ministers in the Maharashtra government at a surprise cabinet expansion on Sunday. Ajit Pawar, with senior party leaders Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Dilip Walse Patil by his side, asserted to be the real NCP.