Maharashtra politics LIVE: Maharashtra's never-ending political drama continued on Sunday that favoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party. On Sunday, almost after a year, Maharashtra's political rebels have re-shaped the governance as per their wish. Last year, Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde with his 40 supporters split from Uddhav Thackeray's camp and formed the government with the BJP, on Sunday, NCP leader Ajit Pawar, with his eight party colleagues, started a second rebellion and joined the cabinet of BJP-Shinde's camp Shiv Sena.

In a span of a year, the BJP has managed to engineer two splits in the regional parties of Maharashtra--the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena. While Shinde succeeded in taking control of the party, it remains to be seen whether Ajit Pawar manages to get the NCP formed by his uncle in 1999.




Maharashtra political crisis: Pawar sacks key aides while Ajit camp makes appointments in NCP

NCP chief Sharad Pawar sacked party's working president Praful Patel and general secretary and treasurer Sunil Tatkare, who have sided with Ajit Pawar in his revolt, for engaging in "anti-party" activities. The Ajit Pawar camp quickly hit back by removing state NCP president Jayant Patil and making new appointments.

 The party is initiating appropriate action for formal disqualification of Patel and Tatkare as MPs under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.

Sharad Pawar's action came soon after NCP working president Supriya Sule, in a letter, demanded action against Patel and Tatkare, whose daughter is one of the new ministers in the Shinde cabinet. The Ajit Pawar camp soon hit back by appointing Tatkare as the Maharashtra NCP president in place of Jayant Patil. It also asked the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to disqualify Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from membership of the House. Praful Patel told a press conference in Mumbai he has appointed Tatkare as the Maharashtra NCP president and Ajit Pawar as the leader of the NCP legislature party, while Anil Bhaidas Patil, who took oath as a minister on Sunday, will continue to be the party whip in the Assembly.

Maharashtra Political crisis: ‘People of India are with Sharad Pawar’ says NCP leader

"People of the country are with Sharad Pawar and the party will move ahead under him. As far as Praful Patel is concerned, he is a senior leader of the party and respects Sharad Pawar a lot," says NCP leader KK Sharma over the crisis in the party triggered by Ajit Pawar's revolt.

Maharashtra News: ‘State cabinet expansion will happen soon’ says CM Eknath Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde addressed the media on the developments of the NCP split that saw Ajit Pawar take oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. 

During a press conference Shinde said, "...Ajit Pawar has said that he is supporting the agenda of development...State cabinet expansion will happen soon"

Maharashtra News: NCP workers visit party office in Mumbai, extend support

A day after NCP stalwart Ajit Pawar joined the Maharashtra government as deputy chief minister with some senior leaders, several workers of the party visited its south Mumbai office and extended their support to patriarch Sharad Pawar.

Ajit Pawar, however, has asked his colleagues to refrain from making any public statements.

Several NCP leaders and workers from districts and tehsils neighbouring Mumbai rushed to the party office to extend their support to the Pawar senior.

Former state home minister Anil Deshmukh and several others have posted their pictures with Sharad Pawar on social media with the tagline: “Saheb, always with you…".

Maharashtra News: Sharad Pawar has put Supriya in forefront, says Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that NCP leader Sharad Pawar has put his daughter Supriya Sule, MP, in the forefront to "transfer his legacy" and that he is the "driver of opposition unity".

In an interview with ANI Editor Smita Prakash which was recorded on June 29 before the crisis in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Fadnavis hit out at the dynastic politics and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lessened its impact in national politics.

Maharashtra News: NCP disqualifies 9 MLAs including Ajit Pawar

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday disqualified nine MLAs including Ajit Pawar, who were sworn in as ministers in the Shinde-Fadnavis government on July 2, for indulging in anti-party activities.

The NCP moved a disqualification petition against the nine MLAs to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar.

"The State Discipline Committee passed a resolution dated 2 July 2023 recorded the factum of disqualification of the said 9 (nine) MLAs from the party due to their indulgence in anti-party activities," the letter served to the nine disqualified MLAs said.

Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal along with Dilip Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Mundo, Dharmaraobaba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode and Anil Patil joined Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government on Sunday.

Maharashtra News: ‘ Can’t ignore Ajit Pawar either', says NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) spokesperson

" This alliance happened with the support of 40 NCP MLAs...Sharad Pawar is senior leader of NCP but we can't ignore the contributions of Ajit Pawar either, he worked for 40 years for NCP...": Amol Mitkari, NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) spokesperson.

Maharashtra News: ‘Everything happened suddenly’ says minister

Maharashtra minister Shambhuraj Desai on Monday said the chain of events that resulted in Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar joining the Eknath Shinde government happened "suddenly" and asserted that all Shiv Sena legislators were happy.

Pawar joined the government as deputy chief minister while eight MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal, were made ministers on Sunday.

The Thane guardian minister said a cabinet expansion was on the cards, adding that 13 berths are now left after Sunday's induction saw nine new ministers.

"Even us ministers were not aware (of Sunday's developments). We were told to meet at Raj Bhavan. Everything happened suddenly," he said in a press conference here.

Maharashtra News: Opposition takes 'detergent' jibe at BJP

Accusing the government of using probe agencies to threaten the BJP's rivals and engineering splits within them, Opposition parties on Monday said such actions will only strengthen their unity.

"Yesterday when the BJP Washing Machine restarted in Mumbai with its ICE (Incometax, CBI, ED) detergent, BJP-inspired obituaries on Opposition unity were being planted. The obit writers will be disappointed," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted, in a dig at the BJP over the NCP's Ajit Pawar and eight others joining the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government.

"If anything the Mumbai operations have strengthened Opposition resolve," the Congress general secretary (Communications) said, tagging a picture of 'Modi Washing Powder' with the tagline 'saare daag chutkiyon mein dhule (removes all stains in a jiffy)'.

Other Opposition leaders including TMC's Derek O'Brien, PDP's Mehbooba Mufti and CPM's Sitaram Yechury also accused the BJP of using threats of probe agencies to sabotage the efforts towards Opposition unity before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Maharashtra Political Crisis: Thane city unit chief Anand Paranjpe sacked

The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party on Monday removed its Thane city unit president and former MP Anand Paranjpe from the post.

Senior NCP leader Jitendra Awhad tweeted the information of Paranjpe's sacking along with a photograph of the latter greeting Ajit Pawar, who broke the party on Sunday and joined the Eknath Shinde government.

Paranjpe was a Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP from Thane between 2008 and 2014 and then won the 2014 polls from Kalyan seat.

However, mid-way he shifted to the NCP but lost in the 2019 polls.

Maharashtra Political Crisis: Rebel Ajit Pawar breaks silence on NCP national president name

"Have you forgotten that Sharad Pawar is the party's national president?," says Ajit Pawar on being asked who will be NCP national president now.

Maharashtra political crisis: Sunil Tatkare appointed as new state president of Nationalist Congress Party

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)'s ‘sacked’ MP and NCP working president Praful Patel informed that he has appointed Ajit Pawar as leader of NCP legislature party.

Patel continues to hold the NCP chief post. 

Further, another ‘sacked’ has been appointed as new state president of Nationalist Congress Party, Patel informed. 

Maharashtra Political crisis: Sharad Pawar orders removal of MPs Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare

“I, as the National President, Nationalist Congress Party hereby order removal of the names of Shri Sunil Tatkare and Shri Praful Patel from the Register of Members of NCP Party for anti-party activities." NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar issued a statement, following working president Supriya Sule's letter seeking the two MPs dismissal.  

Maharashtra Political crisis: NCP notifies Ajit Pawar on disqualification process

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) sent a letter to Ajit Pawar and 8 other MLAs regarding resolution by State Discipline Committee to move disqualification proceedings against them.

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Maharashtra Political crisis: Supriya Sule seeks actions against MPs Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare

NCP Working President and MP, Supriya Sule in a letter to party chief Sharad Pawar recommends disciplinary action against MPs Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare.

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Maharashtra Political crisis: ‘breaking political parties have become the norm in India’

"Breaking political parties has become the new normal in Indian politics. This is another addition to that sequence. We have seen this in Karnataka, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab earlier. This is yet another example of unethical conduct," says Chhattisgarh Deputy CM TS Singh Deo on Ajit Pawar and other NCP leaders joining the NDA fold in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra Political crisis: ‘few more got washed in the washing machine’ says Bhupesh Baghel

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel addressed the media on Monday and said, "..Yesterday a few more people got washed in the washing machine...through central agencies, they first broke Shiv Sena, they were investigating Shiv Sena leaders & then suddenly investigation was closed...a few days back, NCP leaders were being investigated...the moment they left NCP & joined BJP, they are now ministers & have become part of the cabinet (Shinde-BJP cabinet) & they took the oath...through central agencies, they are strangling democracy..."

Maharashtra political crisis: Sharad Pawar hints at ‘final call in the next few days’

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday rejected nephew Ajit pawar's mutiny in joining hands with Eknath Shinde-led government, and taking oath as the deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. 

Asked whether Ajit Pawar's rebellion on Sunday had his blessings, the NCP chief said, "It is a mean thing to say. Only those with a mean and low intellect can say this."

"I have set out on a tour of the state and galvanize the cadre. They should not feel disillusioned with what some leaders have done," Sharad Pawar said.