All MLAs are with me, we're here as a party, says Ajit Pawar after joining Maharashtra government

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

NCP leader Ajit Pawar took oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister with eight other party legislators also joining the National Democratic Alliance government in the state. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) experienced an internal division as senior leader Ajit Pawar joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) along with a group of MLAs. Ajit Pawar said all MLAs are with him and they have joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government as a party.

«We have all the numbers. All MLAs are with me. We are here as a party.

We have informed all seniors also. The majority is given importance in a democracy. Our party is 24-year old and young leadership should come forward,» Ajit Pawar said after taking oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

The Deputy CM further said that a few other ministers would be added in the next expansion. «We took a decision to come with the Shinde-Fadanvis govt with almost all MLAs of NCP. We took the oath and a few other ministers will be added in the next expansion», Ajit Pawar said.

State Governor Ramesh Bais administered the oath to NCP Leader Ajit Pawar as Maharashtra's second Deputy Chief Minister. The Governor also gave oaths to Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Dharmarao Baba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode and Anil Patil. After the dramatic turn of events, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the double-engine government in the state has now become «triple-engine and it will run like a bullet train».

CM Shinde said, «Now we have 1 Chief Minister and 2 Deputy Chief Ministers. The double-engine government has now become a triple-engine and now it will run like a bullet train. For the development of Maharashtra, I welcome Ajit Pawar and his