Mumbai, Nov 24 (IANS): Ajit Pawar, who was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Saturday, may resign on Sunday evening as the MLAs who went with him are returning with party supremo Sharad Pawar, NCP leaders claimed.
A senior party leader wishing not to be named told IANS, "Ajit Pawar may resign by today evening as pressure is building on him following most of the MLAs coming back to Sharad Pawar."
He said that Sharad Pawar has also sent messages to Ajit Pawar to comeback, however, he is yet non-committal.
The party leader further said that the MLAs returned back to Sharad Pawar as the people in their constituencies voted in the name of the senior Pawar.
According to party leaders out of 54, over 48 MLAs have came back to Sharad Pawar.
"Even in many constituencies people have put up posters warning the MLAs not to come back if they went with BJP," he said.
On Saturday morning, Ajit Pawar along with 10-11 MLAs went to Governor B.S. Koshyari to take oath as the Deputy Chief Minister. Devendra Fadnavis was also sworn in as Chief Minister.
Following the surprise oath ceremony of Fadnavis and junior Pawar, the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena were left stunned, as the three parties were in final round of talks to finalise their alliance in the state to form a government.
NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik told IANS that if required it will parade all the MLAs of the three parties before the Governor within an hour to prove their majority in the 288-member House.
He said, "All the MLAs of the three parties are in the city only. And it is a coincidence that Hotel Renaissance which was used to dethrone the Congress government in Karnataka and this time we will form the Maharashtra government from the same hotel."
The Shiv Sena has kept all its MLAs at Hotel Lalit, while the Congress has kept its legislators at Hotel JW Marriott in Mumbai only.
In the October 21 polls, the BJP emerged as the single biggest party bagging 105 seats. Its pre-poll alliance partner Shiv Sena won 56 seats. However, the alliance fell apart after Uddhav Thackarey demanded rotational chief ministership. But BJP refused the demand of the Shiv Sena.
The Congress and NCP won 44 and 54 seats, respectively. President's rule was imposed on November 12 in the state.