Ajit Pawar with Devendra Fadnavis in Latur yesterday.
Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar was seen with the top leaders of Maharashtra's ruling coalition amid a buzz over his next move as the Supreme Court is set to decide on last year's Shiv Sena mutiny.
Ajit Pawar, nephew and the apparent political heir of Sharad Pawar, shared frames with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis at a mass wedding in Latur yesterday. Uddhav Thackeray camp MLAs and Ambadas Danve, Leader of the Opposition in Vidhan Parishad, were among those present.
The buzz over Ajit Pawar's next political move refuses to die down after his uncle's surprise move to step down as NCP boss fuelled speculation over the future of the Opposition coalition in Maharashtra. However, Sharad Pawar withdrew his resignation following protests by the party workers.
The latest in this series of events and an uncertainty looming over Maharashtra politics was Ajit Pawar sharing frames with the rival leaders who engineered a blow to ally Uddhav Thackeray's government last year.
Ajit Pawar's absence in a key party meeting and posters calling him the state's future Chief Minister also led to a buzz that he may split his uncle's party and join hands with the BJP. But the senior NCP leader has maintained otherwise.
Sharad Pawar, too, has played down speculations that his nephew may ally with the BJP. "NCP will never break. No one will leave the party. People are maligning Ajit Pawar for no reason," he told NDTV last week.
Mr Shinde may lose his job as the Chief Minister if he and his MLAs are disqualified from the assembly for revolting against Mr Thackeray, the then Chief Minister. This poses a question over who gets to form the new government and chief minister's post.
Mr Shinde, backed by the BJP, had split the Shiv Sena and rallied a section of MLAs to form a new government under his leadership last year.
If he's disqualified, a fresh government has to be formed by the side that has greater numbers, depending on whether any MLA would change sides.
Maharashtra BJP has claimed the current ruling coalition with Mr Shinde's faction has the support of over 184 MLAs to prove majority in the 288-member assembly.