The role of Governor BS Koshyari has again come under the scanner for the hush-hush manner in which he invited Devendra Fadnavis to take oath as the chief minister.
While Koshyari refused to extend the time given to other parties, BJP wasn't even asked to prove its majority before the swearing-in ceremony, some leaders alleged. "It is an invitation to horse-trading," AICC Secretary Sanjay Dutt said.
Meanwhile, in a veiled attack on Ajit Pawar who took oath as Deputy Chief Minister on Saturday, NCP leader Nawab Malik on Saturday said that his party had taken signatures from MLAs for attendance which were later misused.
"We had taken signatures from MLAs for attendance, it was misused as a basis for the oath," Malik told reporters here.
A BJP insider said Sharad Pawar had underestimated his nephew's fears. Ajit believed that Praful Patel was gaining in importance and he could also be a target like Chhagan Bhujbal.
"It's survival instinct at its best," he explained.
Earlier, the NCP chief clarified that the decision of going with BJP to form the government in Maharashtra is of his nephew Ajit Pawar, who took over as Deputy Chief Minister on Saturday.
"It was the attendance sheet of MLAs prepared at a party meeting which has been given to the Governor as Ajit Pawar's support letter," Pawar said in a joint press conference with the Shiv Sena, endorsing what another senior party leader Nawab Malik said earlier in the day.
Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the second term early on Saturday morning along with Ajit Pawar who was made his deputy.
The development comes hours after NCP Chief Sharad Pawar said that the Congress and NCP have consented to Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray becoming the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The three-party alliance was expected to stake a claim on Monday.
However, at around 8 am on Saturday morning, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar went to Raj Bhavan where Governor BS Koshyari administered them the oath of office and secrecy.
Ajit Pawar said he had reached his decision to join hands with the BJP on his own.
"From result day on October 24, no party was able to form the government. Maharashtra was facing many problems, including farmers issues. So we decided to form a stable government", he said.
While it is yet unclear as to how many MLAs have supported Ajit Pawar, sources close to him have said that he has the support of at least 22 out of a total of 54 NCP MLAs. NCP Chief Sharad Pawar at a press conference insisted that his nephew only had 10-11 MLAs with him at the swearing-in ceremony and three of those MLAs had said they were misled and had returned.