Maharashtra: Rubbishing all the rumours that Ajit Pawar will replace him as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra, CM Eknath Shinde on Friday asserted that junior Pawar's entry into the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the state posed no threat to him. While speaking on Ajit Pawar's rebellion against his uncle and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Shinde said that parties split when hard-working workers are neglected.
"Such things happen when meritorious party workers are sidelined. Ajit Pawar has himself said that it was Sharad Pawar who had wanted an alliance with the BJP in the past....in 2017, 2019 but did a U-turn later," said Shinde.
Sharad Pawar had rebelled
Highlighting Sharad Pawar's history, he said that senior Pawar himself had rebelled against then chief minister Vasantdada Patil (in 1978) and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi (in 1999).
He then dismissed all the rumours that he will be replaced as chief minister by Ajit Pawar saying that these were baseless rumours which cause him no "tension", and the "higher ups" will take appropriate decision.
We have to win Maharashtra with more than 45 seats
"Now with a third partner, we have to work together strongly and make Narendra Modi prime minister again in 2024.....We have to win Maharashtra with more than 45 (out of 48 Lok Sabha) seats," Shinde said.
He further claimed that Ajit Pawar joined their government because of the development track record of his government.
"Modi and (Amit) Shah have made me chief minister, and now with Ajit Pawar joining the government, we have become stronger....lot of work has been done in the constituencies of our MLAs in the last one year," he said.
(with inputs from PTI)
