Ajit Pawar resigns as Deputy Maharashtra CM ahead of floor test

The Nationalist Congress Party's Ajit Pawar has resigned as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister before a floor test tomorrow.

Ajit Pawar has resigned as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra ahead of a floor test ordered by the Supreme Court tomorrow. News of Ajit Pawar’s resignation emerged after he had a one-hour meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who will also address the media at 3.30 pm.

Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were sworn in on Saturday in a controversial oath ceremony that was challenged in the Supreme Court by his party Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena and Congress.

After joining hands with the BJP and becoming Mr Fadnavis’s deputy, Ajit Pawar had claimed the support of all 54 MLAs of his party NCP, but his uncle Sharad Pawar had contested it.

Yesterday, Ajit Pawar did not assume charge officially even though Mr Fadnavis did. He was also missing from the Chief Minister’s first meeting last evening and he skipped a memorial even for 26/11 martyrs this morning.

His absence reinforced reports that the NCP, especially his uncle and other top leaders, were trying to persuade him to quit the government and return to the party fold.