MUMBAI: NCP leader
Ajit Pawar, who was deputy chief minister between 2009 and 2014 when the Congress-NCP alliance was in power in the state, is likely to get the same post if both NCP and Congress agree to have their own deputy CMs while the Sena keeps the CM’s post.
Former assembly speaker Dilip Walse Patil, former finance minister Jayant Patil and former deputy CM Chhagan Bhujbal are also in the race for the No. 2 post from within the NCP but party chief Sharad Pawar’s nephew is the frontrunner, sources said. “Sharad Pawar will take a decision on the new deputy CM in a day or two,” a senior NCP leader told TOI.
Nawab Malik from Mumbai, Rajesh Tope from Jalna, Anil Deshmukh from Nagpur, Dhananjay Munde from Parli in Beed district and Jeetendra Ahwad from Thane are among the NCP leaders who are being considered for induction in the state cabinet.
While Munde was leader of opposition in the legislative council, Ahwad has emerged as the most firebrand leader of the party, being the first to take on the BJP leadership whenever the BJP attacked the NCP chief. When the Enforcement Directorate registered an offence against Pawar ahead of the state elections, Awhad was the first to lodge a protest; the ED later informed Pawar that there was no need for him to visit its office. Munde had also highlighted cases of alleged graft in the past five years, and sources said it would have to be seen if those cases are taken to a logical end, including the case he pursued against his cousin Pankaja Munde, whom he defeated in the assembly polls.
There were initially reports that the NCP may propose the name of Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule for the CM’s post, but Raigad Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare quickly denied these reports, saying there was no discussion on a woman CM for
Maharashtra.