Ajit Pawar to replace Eknath Shinde as Maharastra CM: MP Sanjay Raut

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) claimed on July 3 that Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar, who was sworn in as Maharashtra's deputy chief minister on on July 2, will shortly replace Eknath Shinde as chief minister. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut claimed Shinde will be dismissed as CM and 16 Shiv Sena rebel MLAs would be disqualified.

"Today I am saying this in front of the camera, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra is going to change. Eknath Shinde is being removed. Eknath Shinde and the 16 MLAs are going to be disqualified," Sanjay Raut told news agency ANI.

"The BJP is breaking the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress but this will not benefit them (BJP) at all. In Maharashtra, we will fight the 2024 polls together. It is shocking that PM Modi had said that the leaders of the NCP are involved in corruption and now those leaders have taken oath in Raj Bhawan," he said.

However, in a fiery response, BJP leader Narayan Rane stated that the government will stay strong and Shinde will remain chief minister till 2024. 

To become deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar created a vertical split in the NCP, startling his uncle Sharad Pawar, who formed the party 24 years ago. In addition, eight NCP politicians were sworn in as ministers in the Shinde-BJP administration. Team Uddhav claimed that Ajit Pawar did not join the Eknath Shinde-led government for the deputy CM post.