Mumbai, November 23: NCP leader Ajit Pawar has been expelled as the leader of the legislative assembly of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) after he accompanied and supported BJP's Devendra Fadnavis for the oath taking ceremony at the Raj Bhavan on Saturday morning. Adding to the political chaos in Maharashtra, NCP leader and Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar took the oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra along with Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister. The oath was administered by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Supriya Sule's WhatsApp Status Confirms Split in NCP and Pawar Family After Ajit Pawar Supports BJP in Maharashtra Without Sharad Pawar's Consent.

However, hours later it emerged that Ajit Pawar had gone to the Raj Bhavan on his own accord. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, in a press conference with Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray, said that he was not aware why Ajit Pawar reached the Raj Bhavan and said that there was an attempt to poach some NCP legislators. Four NCP MLA's were present at the meeting who claimed they were contacted by Ajit Pawar. Sharad Pawar Does Not Endorse Ajit Pawar's Move of Supporting BJP in Maharashtra, Says NCP Has Nothing to Do With It.

Sharad Pawar added that a meeing of the NCP MLA's has been called on Saturday evening. Pawar expressed confidence and said that the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress front consisted the numbers to form the government. He also said that what Ajit Pawar had done was against the ideology of the party and that disciplinary action would be taken against him. Shiv Sena pramukh Uddhav Thackeray  said that it was a "political surgical strike" on the state of Maharashtra.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 23, 2019 01:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).