Ajit Pawar thanks PM Modi, changes his Twitter bio to Maharashtra Deputy CM, says he will always be in NCP

NEW DELHI: After remaining silent on Twitter for nearly 36 hours, Ajit Pawar on Sunday evening changed his Twitter bio and added Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra to it. This came soon after he went on a thanking spree on Twitter, a day after he was sworn in as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ajit assured him of forming a stable government in the state. Replying to the Prime Minister's congratulatory message on Twitter, Ajit wrote, "Thank you Hon. Prime Minister @narendramodi ji. We will ensure a stable Government that will work hard for the welfare of the people of Maharashtra."

Thank you Hon. Prime Minister @narendramodi ji. We will ensure a stable Government that will work hard for the welfare of the people of Maharashtra. https://t.co/3tT2fQKgPi

— Ajit Pawar (@AjitPawarSpeaks) November 24, 2019

He also thanked BJP leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani, and Nitin Gadkari who had sent him congratulatory messages.

Interestingly, Deputy CM Pawar did not remove his credentials as a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader even after being sidelined by NCP chief and his uncle Sharad Pawar after the events that took place on Saturday (November 23).

"I am in the NCP and shall always be in the NCP and @PawarSpeaks Saheb is our leader. Our BJP-NCP alliance shall provide a stable Government in Maharashtra for the next five years which will work sincerely for the welfare of the State and its people," he said on Twitter.

I am in the NCP and shall always be in the NCP and @PawarSpeaks Saheb is our leader.

Our BJP-NCP alliance shall provide a stable Government in Maharashtra for the next five years which will work sincerely for the welfare of the State and its people.

— Ajit Pawar (@AjitPawarSpeaks) November 24, 2019

After Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra with Devendra Fadnavis becoming the CM, Sharad Pawar convened an all-party meeting which Ajit skipped. In the meeting, Ajit was also removed as NCP leader in legislative assembly with senior NCP leader Jayant Patil being given all his constitutional rights.

According to sources, Sharad had asked Ajit to resign from the deputy chief minister's post, to which the nephew declined, making his stand of joining hands with the BJP clear.

In a massive turn of events, BJP's Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday morning was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and NCP's Ajit Pawar was sworn-in as Deputy CM. While Ajit Pawar claimed that he has the support of a few other NCP MLAs, all of them believed to be with him was present at the party meet with Sharad Pawar on Sunday evening. 

This development came after almost a month-long drama in which all the parties were given a chance by the Governor to form the government in Maharashtra, failing which President Rule was imposed.

The BJP won 105 seats in the 288-member assembly followed by Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44. Earlier today, the top court has issued notices to the Maharashtra government, state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, his deputy Ajit Pawar and the Centre, and asked for relevant documents and letters of support from MLAs by 10 am on November 25.