Lagatar24 Desk
Mumbai: Outgoing Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar shared a lighthearted moment during a press conference on Wednesday. When asked whether Shinde would join Devendra Fadnavis’s new government, Shinde avoided a direct answer, sparking a humorous exchange between the two leaders.
Ajit Pawar, known for his sharp wit, interjected, jokingly announcing that he was ready to take the oath as Deputy Chief Minister. In response, Shinde quipped, “Dada (Ajit Pawar) has experience of taking oaths both in the morning and evening,” drawing laughter from the audience.
Shinde’s comment was a playful nod to Pawar’s early morning oath-taking in 2019 as Fadnavis’s deputy during a short-lived BJP-NCP coalition, which dissolved within days.
When asked if both leaders would assume their roles in Fadnavis’s cabinet on December 5, Shinde cryptically said, “Wait till evening.” Pawar added to the humor with a quick reply, “I will take it (the oath); I will not wait.”
The exchange comes amidst heightened anticipation over Maharashtra’s cabinet formation, with Shinde’s and Pawar’s roles in the new government yet to be confirmed.
