Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Ajit Pawar is set to make a significant announcement during a press conference scheduled for 6:30 pm on Friday. This development comes shortly after Ajit Pawar reportedly left a state cabinet meeting after only 10 minutes. The cabinet meeting on Thursday saw the approval of around 38 decisions.
Ajit Pawar’s NCP is a key player in the ruling government in Maharashtra, along with the BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena as part of the Mahayuti alliance. The timing of Ajit Pawar’s announcement coincides with ongoing discussions on seat-sharing among the Mahayuti parties ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections, which are slated for November-December this year.
The press conference is expected to have NCP’s working president Praful Patel, state president Sunil Tatkare, and Chhagan Bhujbal in attendance. The NCP has hinted at a “big announcement regarding the upcoming Assembly elections,” as per a statement in the Indian Express.
Speculation is rife regarding the nature of the announcement, with some suggesting it could be related to the Maharashtra elections or the potential joining of prominent leaders to the party.
Ajit Pawar and his NCP have faced scrutiny following the disappointing performance of the Mahayuti alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. The BJP’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis acknowledged the disapproval among BJP’s core voters regarding the alliance with NCP but claimed to have convinced the majority of them.
There are murmurs suggesting that the NCP may have been marginalized during the seat-sharing negotiations for the upcoming Maharashtra elections by the BJP and Shiv Sena.
It is worth noting that Ajit Pawar had previously defected to the BJP in July 2023, rebelling against his uncle. Subsequently, he was appointed as the deputy CM of Maharashtra by the BJP-Shiv Sena government in the state.
