Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan claimed he has information that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has promised Ajit Pawar the post of Maharashtra chief minister.
With Ajit Pawar's move to join the ruling Eknath Shinde-BJP coalition on Sunday changing political dynamics in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also claimed that Shinde will lose the CM's post.
On Sunday, Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the NCP to become the deputy chief minister, shocking his uncle Sharad Pawar, who founded the party 24 years ago.
Eight NCP leaders were also sworn in as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-BJP government. To a query, Chavan while speaking to reporters in Karad said, I had spoken about it (that Ajit Pawar may go with BJP) publicly but I faced criticism.
The Congress leader said he knew this was happening. Just bargaining was going on over what he (Ajit) should be getting. As per our information, he has been given a promise of chief minister's post by pushing Eknath Shinde aside with the help of Assembly speaker's decision (on disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs), the former CM claimed.
Chavan was at Pritisangam, the memorial of Maharashtra's first CM Yashwantrao Chavan. Prithviraj Chavan said, He (Sharad Pawar) is one of the constituents of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and I am here to extend support to him.
Pawar Saheb is standing strong behind the opposition unity at the national level and he is going to attend the opposition meet in Bengaluru, he added.