Ajit Pawar has always done politics of development: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde

Pawar split the NCP to take oath as Shinde's deputy in the presence of senior NCP leaders Praful Patel, Amol Kolhe and Sunil Tatkare.

Shinde claimed out of 54 NCP MLAs, 35 were present in the Raj Bhavan along with Ajit Pawar. Inn al Pawar enjoyed the support of more than 40 legislators, he said.
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After Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Valse-Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Dharmaraobaba Bhagwantrao Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode and Anil Patil also were sworn in as ministers.

A few other NCP MLAs will be inducted in the ministry soon, Pawar told media persons after taking his oath.

"I have taken the decision to solve the problems of the people of Maharashtra" he said.

The Chief Minister said now his double engine government - BJP and the Shiv Sena (Shinde) - has a triple engine for the development of the state.

Pawar's joining would give a further boost to the government which was already working for the state's development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shinde added.

Pawar's rebellion has caused a vertical split in NCP, a year after Shinde caused a similar split in the Shiv Sena by rebelling against then-chief minister and party chief Uddhav Thackeray.

Over three and a half years ago, Ajit Pawar had taken oath as Deputy Chief Minister, but within two days he resigned after failing to cobble up enough support among MLAS to cause a formal split in the legislative party.

(With UNI inputs)