‘Dada has the habit of taking oaths in the morning and evening’: Eknath Shinde’s brazen dig at Ajit Pawar

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra caretaker chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday took a cheeky dig at his ally Ajit Pawar – reminding the NCP chief of his early morning oath as deputy chief minister in 2019 for a term that only lasted 5 days.
In 2019, when Uddhav Thackeray’s undivided Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP over the chief minister’s post, Ajit Pawar rebelled against his uncle Sharad Pawar and joined hands with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis to form a government during a morning operation which caught up with everyone. by surprise. However, the government lasted only five days as Ajit Pawar failed to muster support from NCP MPs.
When Mahayuti leaders met Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Wednesday, the spotlight was on Shinde, who was upset at being denied a second term as Mahayuti chief minister and who did not had still not cleared the air about his role as deputy chief minister under the CM. elect Fadnavis.
When reporters asked Shinde if he would take oath as deputy chief minister alongside Ajit Pawar in Mahayuti 2.0, the Shiv Sena chief replied “Wait until evening…”.
However, Ajit Pawar, who was sitting next to Shinde, intervened to say that he would definitely take oath tomorrow along with Fadnavis. “Sham tak unka samaj aayega (We will know about Shinde by evening), I will take it (oath), I will not wait,” Ajit Pawar said.
Ajit Pawar’s willingness to take oath as deputy CM drew an instant response from Shinde, who responded with a cheeky dig: “Dada (Ajit Pawar) has the experience of taking (oath) in the morning and The evening.” Although it made everyone laugh, it reminded everyone of Ajit Pawar’s failed rebellion against Sharad Pawar in 2019.
Shinde was then part of the undivided Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray – which had plunged the NDA into crisis by refusing to support Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister after their alliance won a comfortable majority in the Assembly.
While Shiv Sena and the BJP shared excellent relations within Mahayuti 1.0, Shinde’s insistence on a second term as Mahayuti chief minister after the 2024 parliamentary election results tested their good nature. In the last 11 days, when Shiv Sena repeatedly staked claim to the top post, Ajit Pawar played his cards well and supported the BJP and Devendra Fadnavis till the end. As hectic negotiations unfolded, a Shiv Sena leader admitted that Ajit Pawar’s NCP had reduced its bargaining power vis-à-vis the BJP. It is no wonder that Eknath Shinde’s remarks to Ajit Pawar may well be more than a lighthearted banter between allies.