Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel has stated that the nephew of Sharad Pawar will get the opportunity to become the chief minister of Maharashtra, news agency ANI reported. This remark comes only days after Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar will be named as the state's chief minister on August 10, replacing Eknath Shinde.
Praful Patel told reporters on Thursday that Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is a popular and heavyweight leader who would be given the chance to become Chief Minister.
When asked about such conjecture, Patel, who backs Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) group, told reporters in Nagpur that the position of Chief Minister (CM) is not vacant, so why talk about it? "Today, the (CM) seat is not vacant, so why talk about it? Ajit dada is certainly a popular leader who has been leading our party in Maharashtra for many years now. Ajit dada will definitely get a chance (to be CM) in the future, and we will work in that direction," he said.
On Monday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis disputed Chavan's assertion, stating Shinde will remain chief minister and there would be no change of guard in the state.
On July 2, Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP cabinet. The MLAs were sworn in as ministers while Ajit Pawar received his oath as deputy chief minister. Ajit Pawar, the nephew of NCP president Sharad Pawar, was thereafter assigned the vital finance department.
Shinde has stated that Ajit Pawar's appointment to the government presented no danger to him.
When asked about the potential of being inducted into the Centre's council of ministers, Patel stated that there is no debate regarding the Union cabinet reshuffle or enlargement.
"I don't think it will happen," he was quoted by PTI in its report.
To another question, he said, "My constituency will always be Bhandara-Gondia."