MUMBAI: The friendship between NCP leader Ajit Pawar and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis has surfaced yet again, as the BJP leader has allowed Ajit to retain his favourite government bungalow – Devgiri. Their friendship is widely known in political circles. Both had formed a transient government in 2019 that lasted barely 80 hours in Maharashtra.
After the formation of the Shinde government, Ajit Pawar has become the leader of Opposition and Fadnavis the Deputy CM – in a role reversal since the MVA government days. As a deputy to Uddhav Thackeray, Ajit Pawar stayed at Devgiri bungalow at Malabar Hills. Devgiri is one of the spacious bungalows after the chief minister’s Varsha residence at Malabar Hills.
The Devgiri bungalow is generally kept for the number two or a prominent person immediately after the CM. It was expected that Fadnavis as a Deputy CM would get this bungalow. Sources say that after taking over as the LoP, Ajit Pawar had officially requested Fadnavis to retain the Devgiri bungalow. “Fadnavis has sacrificed Devgiri for the sake of friendship and requested CM Eknath Shinde to allot it to Ajit Pawar,” said a person privy to the development.
After the formation of Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Fadnavis was the leader of Opposition. “Fadnavis had put up a request with Ajit Pawar, then Deputy CM, that he should be allocated the sea-facing Sagar bungalow at Malabar Hills. The reason was his daughter was studying in a school located at Malabar Hills, so convenience mattered. Thus, ‘Sagar’ went to Fadnavis,” said the source.