'If I had been offered the CM post, I would have brought the entire NCP with me', said Ajit Pawar before the assembly elections

Mumbai: Maharashtra Assembly elections are due later this year. Many veteran leaders of the state are busy finding their political future. After the defeat of the Mahayuti alliance in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the NCP (Ajit Pawar) faction has adopted the policy of 'Ekla Chalo Re'.

There is speculation that Ajit Pawar's faction may contest the assembly elections alone. Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar has given a big statement on Wednesday. He said that if the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena had offered him the post of Chief Minister, he would have brought the entire Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with him.

I am more senior than Shinde and Fadnavis: Ajit Pawar

Speaking at the launch of current CM Eknath Shinde's biography 'Yodha Karmayogi-Eknath Sambhaji Shinde', Ajit Pawar jokingly said that he is senior to both CM Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis in politics. CM Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis were also present at the event.

"Everyone moved ahead and I was left behind," Ajit Pawar said, adding that while Fadnavis first became an MLA in 1999 and Shinde in 2004, he first became a member of the state assembly in 1990. Fadnavis served as chief minister twice from 2014 to 2019 and for 72 hours in 2019 when Ajit Pawar joined hands with him in a short-lived coalition government.

I would have brought the entire NCP party with me: Ajit Pawar

"I had jokingly told some people that when you (in an apparent reference to the BJP) told Eknath Shinde to come with so many MLAs and he would be made the chief minister, you should have asked me, I would have brought the entire party along," he said.

Let us tell you that in the year 2022, Eknath Shinde along with 39 MLAs revolted against the then Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. After this the Maha Vikas Aghadi government fell. Then Eknath Shinde became the CM.