After Ajit Pawar’s Huge Mutiny, Sharad Pawar’s Next Move: 10 Points

1. Capping months of speculation about him drifting towards the BJP, Ajit Pawar, 63, was sworn in as the second Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra while eight leaders who followed him were appointed ministers in the Shiv Sena-BJP government.

2. Contesting Ajit Pawar’s claim on now being the real NCP, its Maharashtra unit chief Jayant Patil said the party does not support the Eknath Shinde government. He claimed that several MLAs who have pledged support to the BJP-Shiv Sena government were “confused” and remain with Sharad Pawar.

3. At a news conference, Sharad Pawar, 82, betrayed no discomfiture over the rebellion but said disciplinary action would be taken against those who were part of it. Taking a dig at the BJP and the rebels, he said they would now no longer be harassed by any central investigating agency.

4. In a letter to the Maharashtra governor, Ajit Pawar has claimed the support of over 40 NCP MLAs and six members of the Legislative Council, news agency PTI reported quoting sources. The NCP has 53 MLAs.

5. Pledging allegiance to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ajit Pawar justified his alliance with the BJP and fought charges of ideological duplicity by raising the NCP’s partnership with the Shiv Sena. He said that his camp would contest elections under the NCP name and symbol.

6. Sharad Pawar came down especially heavy on recently promoted NCP leaders, Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, accusing them of abandoning the party’s guidelines and taking a “wrong path”. Mr Patel, in response, emphasised the unity of the party under Ajit Pawar’s leadership.

7. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi contacted Sharad Pawar to extend support following the sudden revolt. The Congress has also a meeting of its legislators on Tuesday in an apparent effort to keep its flock together.

8. Sharad Pawar pledged to rebuild the party from scratch and said that he will not take the battle to court but instead will reach out to the people for support. He said he remained in the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance comprising the Uddhav Thackeray camp of the Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress.

9. Welcoming Ajit Pawar and his colleagues, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the government would now have a “triple engine” for development, with one chief minister and two deputy chief ministers.

10. With Ajit Pawar’s strike against Sharad Pawar, one of the tallest leaders of the country’s opposition, the rebellion is also seen as a blow to efforts by the country’s splintered opposition parties to unite against PM Modi and the BJP ahead of national elections next year.

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