Maharashtra News: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has taken charge after the formation of the new government. During the ongoing winter session in Nagpur, the Chief Minister said that he and his deputies Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde are working in 24/7 shifts. Referring to Shinde, Fadnavis said, 'Ajit Pawar will work in the morning, as he is an early riser. I am on duty from noon to midnight, while throughout the night... you all know who they are.'

'You are called 'permanent deputy chief minister' but...'

Turning to Ajit Pawar, Fadnavis said in the assembly, 'You are called 'permanent deputy chief minister'... but my best wishes are with you... you will become the chief minister someday.' Ajit Pawar was sworn in as Maharashtra's deputy chief minister for the sixth time on December 5. NCP leader Ajit Pawar broke away from Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party last year and joined the BJP-led Mahayuti government in 2023.

Ajit had separated from Sharad Pawar

His faction also got the party's name and its 'clock' symbol. His uncle and veteran politician Sharad Pawar now leads the NCP (SP), an ally of the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) under the banner of Maha Vikas Aghadi. After losing badly in the Lok Sabha elections, Ajit Pawar's party made a spectacular comeback in the recently concluded assembly elections, where it won 41 out of 57 constituencies. The party had got just one seat in the Lok Sabha. At the same time, the Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP won more than 230 seats out of 288 assembly seats in the state, while the MVA could win only 46 seats.

'Accept the mandate'

Replying to the debate in the assembly on the motion of thanks on the joint address of the governor to both the houses of the state legislature, Fadnavis asked the opposition to introspect and accept the mandate received in the assembly elections instead of blaming the EVMs. Citing the example of Mahabharata, he said that he is the modern-day Abhimanyu who knows how to break the Chakravyuh. He also assured that all the schemes currently running by the government, including the flagship 'Ladki Behen Yojana' for women, will continue.