Ajit Pawar Goes Missing From Maharashtra Assembly Session Amid Delay In Portfolio Allocation

Ajit Pawar's move comes at a time when the senior leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have expressed their displeasure over being denied ministerial berths during the cabinet expansion.

Ajit Pawar skipped the first two days of the winter session over cabinet expansion discontent within the Mahayuti government.

Source : abp

Amid discontent in the two-week-old Mahayuti government in Maharashtra over the cabinet expansion and delay in portfolio allocation, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has skipped the first two days of the winter session of the Maharashtra legislature.

Pawar's move comes at a time when the senior leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have expressed their displeasure over being denied ministerial berths during the cabinet expansion in Nagpur.

A total of 39 MLAs took oath as cabinet ministers, including 19 from BJP, 11 from Shiv Sena, and nine from NCP on December 15, taking the strength of the Mahayuti government to 42.

Pawar skipped the proceedings of the Maharashtra legislature and did not attend any of the meetings on Tuesday, a report in The Indian Express said. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader has reportedly gone to New Delhi on Monday.

"I cannot comment on whether he has gone to Delhi or on why he has not come to the legislature," NCP MLA Anil Patil reportedly said. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, meanwhile, took jibe at the NCP chief saying that he has a habit of being unreachable.

"Should we wait for the early morning to see what is happening?" Thackeray asked, referring to the early morning swearing-in ceremony of Ajit Pawar with Devendra Fadnavis in 2019.

Amid speculations of Pawar getting the Finance portfolio, Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant has presented the supplementary demands. The report said that there have been heavy negotiations over the portfolio distribution and the NCP was lobbying for the Housing portfolio.

Senior NCP Leader Chhagan Bhujbal Unhappy 

Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, who was left out of the cabinet expansion on Sunday, appeared unhappy. The NCP veteran said that the denial of a cabinet berth was a "gift" for taking on quota activist Manoj Jarange and opposing his demand for including the Maratha community in the OBC category.  

#WATCH | Pune | Members of OBC community protest against Maharashtra Deputy CM Deputy Ajit of Pawar in front Collector Office for not giving Cabinet post to Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal pic.twitter.com/zT9XN7vaRU

— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2024

Earlier on Tuesday, members of the OBC community protested against Ajit of Pawar in front Collector's Office for not giving the Cabinet post to Bhujbal.

Bhujbal, a prominent OBC leader, and Jarange have publicly clashed over the latter's agitation seeking OBC status for the Marathas. Bhujbal, who was a minister in the previous Mahayuti government, said in Nagpur he would talk to his constituents and decide his future course of action.