Ajit Pawar on Sunday pulled off a stunning revolt in the Nationalist Congress Party triggering a vertical split and joined hands with the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance in Maharashtra to become the deputy chief minister, a move that could undermine party supremo Sharad Pawar and dent efforts for Opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 

In a sudden turn of events that capped weeks of speculation over the senior NCP leader`s next political move and came as a shocker to his uncle Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the deputy chief minister by Governor Ramesh Bais at a ceremony held in the Raj Bhawan in Mumbai. Eight other NCP leaders, some of whom are close aides of Sharad Pawar, took oath as ministers in the Shinde-Fadnavis government. 

Here are 10 points you need to know:

1. Speculations end: Capping months of speculation about him drifting towards the BJP, Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the second Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra while eight leaders who followed him were appointed ministers in the Shiv Sena-BJP government.

2. BJP`s tactical move: In a remarkable turn of events, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) successfully disrupted the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) opposition alliance in Maharashtra for the second time in two years. Pawar`s defection follows the previous departure of Eknath Shinde, who took 40 Shiv Sena MLAs with him. 

4. Prominent NCP leaders join Maharashtra government: Dilip Walse Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal joining the Eknath Shinde government on July 2 is being seen as a shocker in Nationalist Congress Party circles as the two are considered the staunchest supporters of Sharad Pawar. Along with Dilip Walse Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal, prominent leaders like Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Dharmarao Baba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Anil Patil and Sanjay Bansode joined the Maharashtra government. 

5. Cabinet expansion: A day after joining the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and state minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday went to meet Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the allocation of portfolios in the cabinet. 

6. Meetings with BJP: Eknath Shinde had recently met BJP leaders in Delhi, raising eyebrows and fueling speculation about the future of the MVA alliance. 

7. Triple Engine Government: After the induction of 9 NCP MLAs as ministers, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said the double-engine government has now become triple-engine. “Now we have 1 Chief Minister and 2 Deputy Chief Ministers. The double-engine government has now become a triple engine and now it will run like a bullet train. For the development of Maharashtra, I welcome Ajit Pawar and his leaders. Ajit Pawar`s experience will help strengthen Maharashtra,” Shinde said. 

8. It is not googly, it is a robbery: During a press conference over the developments, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that Ajit Pawar and other NCP MLAs joining the Shinde government was a robbery. “It is not googly, it is a robbery. It is not an easy thing. The allegations levelled by Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) against the party … Now (he) has done an important work of exonerating some of the leaders from those allegations,” Pawar said. 

9. Kharge, Rahul speak with Sharad Pawar, extend support: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi spoke with NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday and extended support to him, after the Maharashtra strongman faced a revolt by his nephew Ajit Pawar who along eight other leaders joined the Eknath Shinde-led government. 

10. Upcoming elections: With the changing political dynamics in Maharashtra, Maharashtra is likely to see two Shiv Sena factions as well as two of the NCP battle it out for political space along with the Congress and BJP in the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly polls next year. Maharashtra sends 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh. Despite the rebellion in the Shiv Sena last year, which result in the collapse of the MVA government, the three allies Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT) had appeared to stand united and face the BJP at the hustings. The alliance had even tasted success in the biennial elections to the Legislative Council and the Assembly bypoll in Kasba seat of Pune. 

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