‘We are NCP, All MLAs With Us’: What Ajit Pawar Said on Joining Hands With BJP

Video Producer: Mayank Chawla

Video Editor: Prajjwal Kumar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Mumbai and took oath as the new deputy chief minister of the state, with eight other leaders being inducted as ministers in the Maharashtra cabinet on Sunday, 2 July.

On being asked if the move has Sharad Pawar's support, Ajit Pawar said: "All MLAs are with us, the party is with us, you don't worry about the rest. A majority is given importance in a democracy. When NCP was split, Bhujbal and Praful Patel joined us."

Some big names joining hands with the BJP and were inducted as ministers include Sharad Pawar loyalists like Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, and Hassan Mushrif. The other NCP leaders inducted in the cabinet include prominent leaders Dhananjay Munde, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode, Dharamraobaba Atram, and Anil Bhaidas Patil.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, along with scores of BJP leaders, "welcomed" Ajit Pawar and his supporters into the party.

Here are the top quotes from newly inducted Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's media address:

• "The expansion of Maharashtra cabinet has happened today, more will be inducted soon."

• "The discussions to join the BJP hands were happening internally for days"

• "The decision was taken for the development of the state. The work happening under PM Narendra Modi is before everyone. He is taking the country forward strongly."

• "You see what's happening with the Opposition parties. All of them are embroiled in several situations across different states. There's Congress vs TMC somewhere. Congress vs AAP somewhere else, same with other states. There was no specific output from the Opposition meeting."

• "In the 2.5 years of the government, development was our goal despite COVID-19. Many people will say a lot of things now but I am concerned with development. The development on Maharashtra, getting most central funds for the state, and the satisfaction of the people of the state were the reasons behind the decision."

• "We have joined the government as the Nationalist Congress party and will fight any and every election in the name of the NCP."

• "The decision we took 3.5 years ago was also strategic. If we can join hands with the Shiv Sena, we van join hands with the BJP. We joined hands with the BJP in Nagaland too."

• "You must have seen that since Independence in 1947, the country has moved forward whenever it has been led by one tall leader like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, or Rajiv Gandhi. Similarly, after 1984, Narendra Modi is one leader like that."