MUMBAI: NCP leader Ajit Pawar has said while his uncle and party president Sharad Pawar was the state's chief minister four times, he also "anyhow" became the deputy CM as many times.
Ajit Pawar was speaking at a function in his constituency Baramati in Pune district on Saturday.
"I am a party worker who has seen 'saheb' (Sharad Pawar) become chief minister four times. I too, anyhow, became deputy chief minister four times," the 60-year-old leader said, evoking laughter from the audience.
"If saheb can be chief minister four times, why not me (be DyCM)," he said.
Ajit Pawar was deputy chief minister twice in the 15- year regime of Congress-NCP alliance in Maharashtra during 1999-2014.
Later, he was again sworn in to the post on November 23 last year after he rebelled against the NCP and joined hands with the BJP.
He resigned three days later on November 26, leading to collapse of the Devendra Fadnavis-led government.
On December 30 last year, he took oath as deputy chief minister for the fourth time in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government.
His uncle Sharad Pawar was chief minister of the state for the first time from July 1978 to February 1980.
He later assumed charge of the top post in June 1988 and continued till March 1990.
During his third stint, he was chief minister from March 1990 to June 1991.
He ruled the state for the fourth time from March 1993 to March 1995.