Mumbai, November 23: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said that 8-10 party legislators had gone with Ajit Pawar to Raj Bhawan and many of them have returned. Addressing a joint press conference with Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar said that NCP MLAs who accompanied Ajit Pawar did not know about the swearing-in ceremony. Sharad Pawar asserted that the Devendra Fadnavis government will fail to prove majority. Ajit Pawar Betrayed Sharad Pawar, BJP Misused Governor's Office: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut.

"We found out that 8-10 of our MLAs along with Ajit Pawar assembled for a sudden meeting. The next we know that the oath-taking ceremony takes place. We had no clue of any of this. We are in no way part of all this and Ajit Pawar has acted independently," Sharad Pawar said at the press conference. Three of NCP MLAs who had gone with Ajit Pawar to Raj Bhawan also spoke at the press conference and claimed that they were hoodwinked. Devendra Fadnavis Takes Oath as Maharashtra CM, Ajit Pawar Deputy CM.

"We just got a call from Ajit Pawar, so we went. We had no clue that this was against party stand. We just got a call from Ajit Pawar, so we went. We had no clue that this was against party stand," NCP MLA Rajendra Shingane said. Two more legislators endorsed his statement and said that they were unaware of the swearing-in ceremony.

"Each and every party and all MLAs who were part of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance had put their names on a piece of paper which was then signed by Ajit Pawar since he was the legislative party leader of the NCP. We believe Ajit Pawar took this very letter to the governor and told him that he has NCP's support," Sharad Pawar said. "We are absolutely certain that the BJP-led government which is sworn in today does not have the numbers to pass a floor test," he added.

Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray termed the government by Devendra Fadnavis as "political surgical strike" on Maharashtra. This is a new kind of thing that the country has witnessed... This is nothing but disrespect towards the Constitution of India and the mandate of the people of Maharashtra... This is nothing but a political surgical strike that the BJP has done. We will stand together and we will form the government in Maharashtra," Thackeray said.

A new government headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was sworn-in on Saturday morning by Governor  Bhagat Singh Koshyari. The two were sworn-in at a function in Raj Bhavan held around 8 am in the presence of a few BJP and NCP leaders, and other government officials.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 23, 2019 01:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).