Maharashtra News: Whatever happened is painful, says Supriya Sule

BJP is 24×7 in election mood...BJP, which called the NCP a corrupt party, are now welcoming our leaders. How? I don’t want to comment on who will be the candidates of BJP. I will concentrate on my work rather than peeking inside others' life...I am always with NCP and truth, I face these types of challenges every day. This one (Ajit Pawar's revolt) is a new challenge for me: NCP MP Supriya Sule

The AAP on Sunday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him the "biggest patron of corruption", after NCP leader Ajit Pawar and eight others joined the Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra. The AAP national convenor and Delhi chief minister asked Modi if he was not "ashamed" of seeing those who were called "corrupt" being inducted into the Shiv Sena-BJP government. (PTI)

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday attacked BJP over the major reshuffle in Maharashtra politics, alleging the party of trying to "eliminate" the opposition on the basis of money power and central agencies.

Earlier on Sunday, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)'s senior leader Ajit Pawar joined Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra and took oath as the deputy chief minister of the state.

"The political developments that have taken place in Maharashtra today show that the BJP wants to eliminate the opposition parties on the basis of money power and central agencies. It is highly condemnable," Gehlot said in a tweet. (ANI)

Opposition parties on Sunday lashed out at the BJP after NCP leader Ajit Pawar and eight others were inducted into the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, saying the ruling party's "washing machine" has resumed its operation to clean tainted leaders and it was an "ED-facilitated power grab".

Ajit Pawar, who split the NCP and took oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, said his party decided to join the BJP-Shiv Sena government for the development of the country and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

Raising the corruption allegations faced by the newly inducted ministers, the opposition parties said the BJP can no longer talk about fighting corruption after joining hands with them and alleged that democracy is being "disrobed" in Maharashtra. (PTI)

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday ridiculed people who used to routinely predict the fall of his government by wondering which astrologer they were consulting, his comments coming on a day when Ajit Pawar joined it along with eight other NCP MLAs.

Pawar was sworn in as deputy chief minister after he managed to bring about a vertical split in the Nationalist Congress Party.

"From day one, opposition parties have been predicting the fall of the state government. Now, they must be very disappointed. I wonder which astrologer is giving them such advice," he said. (PTI)

In the wake of nine NCP leaders, including Ajit Pawar, joining the Eknath Shinde government, party chief Sharad Pawar has convened a meeting on July 5 in Mumbai to discuss the developments and the future course of action, its state unit chief Jayant Patil said on Sunday. (PTI)

The Maharashtra Congress on Sunday said the swearing in of Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar as deputy chief minister and eight of his colleagues as ministers in the Eknath Shinde government was "disrobing of democracy" by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole slammed the BJP for its "power-hungry politics".

"The BJP has an alliance with Ajit Pawar whose party was accused of corruption by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Patole said, adding that he wondered if the BJP was playing musical chairs in anticipation of Shinde and several of his MLAs being disqualified. (PTI)

The JD(U) on Sunday while squarely blaming the BJP for the crossover of Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction in Maharashtra, said the move will have no impact on opposition unity nationally.

Dubbing the episode as “cowardly and shameful”, JD(U) chief spokesperson and special advisor K C Tyagi maintained the development in Maharashtra smacked of “fear” instilled by the party's supreme leader, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, into the BJP by uniting the opposition.

Tyagi also alleged that the MLAs of NCP, who have sided with Ajit Pawar, were "intimidated through misuse of central investigating agencies", but insisted the development in the western state will have no impact nationally. (PTI)

Newly-appointed Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Jitendra Awhad on Sunday said the number of Nationalist Congress Party MLAs with deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar will be clear once party supremo Sharad Pawar starts "calling up" legislators.

Awhad, who was appointed LoP in the Assembly after incumbent LoP Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde government as deputy chief minister on Sunday, also said the families of several MLAs have called party leaders to voice their opposition to the developments of the day. (PTI)

After NCP leader Ajit Pawar took oath as the new deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Atishi on Sunday said that it was the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) "washing machine" in action.

"Whoever facing corruption charges, facing different cases, they are definitely afraid of the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and ED (Enforcement Directorate). Such people continuously go to BJP and get themselves cleaned in the BJP's washing machine. Those who got the call of ED, CBI joined BJP," she told ANI.

After inducting "corrupt men" as ministers in Maharashtra, the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot talk about fighting corruption, senior TMC leader Babul Supriyo said on Sunday. Calling the BJP hypocrite in response to the political upheaval in the western state, Supriyo, a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, said leaders under the scanner of ED for corruption have been put into a "washing machine" manufactured by the BJP to remove their stains and blemishes. (PTI)

After engineering a split in the Nationalist Congress Party and extending support to the NDA government in Maharashtra, the new deputy chief minister of the Eknath Shinde government, Ajit Pawar on Sunday said that the country was progressing under PM Modi's leadership adding that they should support development.

"Today, we have decided to support the Maharashtra government and took oath as ministers. There will be a discussion on the portfolios later. Considering all aspects at the national level, we thought that we should support development," Ajit Pawar said in a press briefing. (ANI)