Ajit asks party MLAs to attend swearing-in ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray

Ajit Pawar addresses the newly-elected MLAs of the Nationalist Congress Party. Picture/Twitter Ajit Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Wednesday asked all party MLAs and workers to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who is all set to become Chief Minister of Maharashtra on November 28.

After attending the meeting conducted by NCP at YB Chavan Centre here, former Deputy Chief Minister Pawar said: "We have asked all party MLAs to attend the oath ceremony of new Maharashtra Chief Minister to be conducted at Shivaji Park at 6.40 pm."

Uddhav Thackeray will form a government led by the Maha Vikas Aghadi, an alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress.

Earlier in the day, Pawar who had joined hands with BJP to extend support to form government in Maharashtra led by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said that he was with NCP and he is still with the same party."I have already said that I was with NCP and I am with NCP. Have they expelled me? Have you heard or read this anywhere? I am still with NCP. Whatever decision will be taken by the party, I'll accept it," said Pawar while speaking to the media.

In another development, Pawar took oath in Vidhan Sabha today, as an elected Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA)."As an elected Member of the Legislative Assembly of NCP, I took oath in Vidhansabha today. Pledged to respect and have faith in our Constitution, maintain the sovereignty and unity of our country while fulfilling all my duties diligently," Ajit Pawar tweeted.

The oath-taking ceremony of newly-elected MLAs began in Maharashtra Assembly in a special session on Wednesday after days of political uncertainty and surprising turn of events in the state. The oath was administered by newly-appointed pro-tem speaker Kalidas Kolambkar here at the Raj Bhavan.

Today's session comes a day after BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister on Tuesday merely three days after he took oath in a controversial turn of events. Ajit Pawar also resigned as Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister yesterday.

Later in the evening, the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and staked claim to form the government, following which the Governor announced that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will take oath as the Chief Minister of the state.

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