Mumbai:

Newly-appointed Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar today said he, along with other rebel Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs, joined the BJP and Shiv Sena-led government as they believe the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led union government has been trying to take this country ahead for the last nine years.

“In the last two and a half years when we were in power, we decided that we would focus on development…A lot of people will try to criticise us, we won’t respond to them and focus on how to take the state ahead,” he said.

A majority of NCP MLAs, and the entire party, has decided to be in the government, Mr Pawar stressed in a press conference after taking oath. “The NCP party has joined the government. The party name and symbol will be used by us to contest elections,” he added, pre-empting possible disqualification of all rebel MLAs under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.

Mr Pawar revealed that discussions regarding the move were going on for a long time.

“Whatever has been happening in the country and in the state, we saw that and decided that development should be made a priority,” he said.

There will be more cabinet expansion where others will be made ministers too, he added.

“With the will of the people of Maharashtra, the support of his colleagues in the Nationalist Congress Party, and the strength of faith, he took the oath of office and secrecy as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state today. I believe that my post will be used for the welfare of the people, for the development of Maharashtra,” he tweeted along with pictures of him taking oath of office.

महाराष्ट्रातील जनतेची इच्छा, राष्ट्रवादी काँग्रेस पक्षातील सहकाऱ्यांचा पाठिंबा, विश्वासाच्या बळावर आज राज्याचा उपमुख्यमंत्री म्हणून पद व गोपनीयतेची शपथ घेतली. माझ्या या पदाचा उपयोग जनतेच्या कल्याणासाठी, महाराष्ट्राच्या विकासासाठी होईल असा विश्वास देतो. pic.twitter.com/mvZ2oh7w6u

— Ajit Pawar (@AjitPawarSpeaks) July 2, 2023