Ajit Pawar joins Mahayuti government with Sharad Pawar's approval

In Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced that his decision to leave the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and join the Mahayuti government was made with the consent of his uncle, Sharad Pawar, the NCP founder. This statement came shortly after Praful Patel, the party's national working president, revealed that Ajit Pawar would contest the upcoming assembly elections from Baramati. Ajit Pawar acknowledged that his political actions were intended to avoid causing harm to anyone, although he later noted that Sharad Pawar disagreed with his choice. He also admitted that opposing Supriya Sule, Sharad Pawar's daughter, in Baramati was a misstep, as voters had shown support for Sule due to perceptions of Sharad Pawar's age. Praful Patel supported Ajit Pawar's claims, stating that the undivided NCP had previously attempted to align with the BJP alliance but had reversed those decisions. He emphasized the lack of consensus among the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners, which contributed to their decision to exit the coalition. Patel also mentioned that discussions regarding seat-sharing among Mahayuti allies were progressing well, with agreements reached on approximately 235 seats, indicating a clear path forward for the upcoming elections.