Maharashtra: NCP's Ajit Pawar said he never left his party and so there is not question of a return
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar does not rule out joining the Uddhav Thackeray-led government after the short-lived rebellion that saw him taking oath as deputy to the BJP's Devendra Fadnavis four days ago. "The decision to induct me in the cabinet is to be taken by Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minister," he told reporters on Wednesday.
"I am not unhappy with anyone. I will accept any responsibility given by my party," said the former Deputy Chief Minister, who was given a warm welcome hug by his cousin Supriya Sule, the daughter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, as he arrived at the Maharashtra assembly to take oath.
Ajit Pawar, 60, quit as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra yesterday, 80 hours after the controversial 7.50 am swearing in that was challenged in the Supreme Court by his party, the Shiv Sena and the Congress.
Both Devendra Fadnavis and Mr Pawar resigned after the Supreme Court ordered the BJP government to prove its majority in an immediate floor test. The BJP, with 105 MLAs, had hoped to make the 145 majority mark with NCP MLAs but Ajit Pawar failed to pull in any. Uddhav Thackeray will be sworn in as Chief Minister tomorrow of a Sena-NCP-Congress alliance that claims the support of 162 MLAs, well past the 145-majority mark in the 288-member assembly.
"I have nothing to say (right now), I will speak at the right time. I had said earlier also, I am in the NCP and I will remain in the NCP. There is no reason to create confusion," Ajit Pawar snapped at reporters.
After resigning yesterday, Ajit Pawar went to Sharad Pawar's home "Silver Oak" in Mumbai. "It is my right to meet my leader," he said, when asked what happened at the meeting.
Sunil Tatkare was among the NCP leaders who was in regular touch with Ajit Pawar and is among the leaders credited with bringing him around. "Now everything is over. Ajit-dada is back, all is well. Under his leadership and with the blessings of Sharad Pawar, we will work in Maharashtra," Mr Tatkare told NDTV.
Would Ajit Pawar be minister? "I think that will be decided by our ultimate leader Sharad Pawar," said Mr Tatkare.
Ajit Pawar's nephew Rohit Pawar, also an MLA, said the Pawars "stand united" and will remain so. On Ajit Pawar's shocking overnight shift and oath on Saturday, he said: "I could not believe how it happened. As a worker, I did not go into the details of it. There was some confusion and being a family member, I could not understand what was happening."
He added: "But we were sure (about his return). We knew Dada well."
Rohit Pawar is the grandson of Sharad Pawar's older brother Appasaheb Pawar.