The Nationalist Congress Party is likely to elect Ajit Pawar again as its floor leader in the assembly ahead of the swearing-in today, sources within the Sharad Pawar-led party indicated.
In a truce with uncle Sharad Pawar, the NCP wants to restore the status of Ajit Pawar. However, it is not clear whether Ajit Pawar will be a deputy chief minister or accommodated in the ministry.
After a surprise revolt, Ajit Pawar was removed as the NCP legislature party leader and Jayant Patil was appointed in his place.
Ajit Pawar on Tuesday resigned as deputy chief minister and then met Sharad Pawar late at night. In the three-party legislature meeting, at least two leaders, including Chhagan Bhujbal, supported Ajit Pawar’s rehabilitation.
The junior Pawar revolted against the NCP and joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party to take oath as deputy chief minister last Saturday.]
The optics in the assembly have set the NCP’s internal dynamics straight with Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule receiving the newly elected MLAs before the start of the first session yesterday, and she welcoming and hugging estranged cousin Ajit ‘Dada’ Pawar.
With Ajit Pawar being pushed to the fence, Sule is at the centre stage of the NCP now.
She was part of all the meetings and the negotiations that her father did towards the formation of the government. She was also instrumental in pursuing Ajit Pawar back to the party fold.
After the Saturday coup, Sule immediately changed her WhatsApp status – “party and family splits’’. It now is clear that the saga of the Pawar family will rotate around Sule.
The high profile rebellion within the Pawar clan is being seen as the direct fallout of Sule’s gradual elevation in the party, first in the Rajya Sabha and then in the Lok Sabha. Until then Ajit Pawar had a free run in the NCP affairs.
As the clout of Sule has gradually increased in the party, Ajit Pawar had been upset for quiet sometime, said an NCP insider. In the past few days, Sule was part of the hectic activity and even close Pawar aide Praful Patel was missing.
As Sharad Pawar emerges from shadows to becoming the strong Maratha, Sule will be the next heir apparent in the NCP.
Pawar on Tuesday walked in amid loud cheers at hotel Trident where Uddhav Thackery was elected as the leader of the three parties.