PUNE: Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, has for the first time broken his silence on his stance in the run-up to the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election scheduled for later this year. He stated that he, too, was in the race to become Chief Minister of the state.

Speaking after performing puja at Pune's famous Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati temple, Pawar said, “Everyone wants their leader to be the Chief Minister. When I say this, I also figure in it. But to become Chief Minister, one has to reach the majority number. Not everyone's wish is fulfilled."

The NCP is part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the state, along with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena, led by present CM Eknath Shinde. Further in the interaction, Pawar clarified that the upcoming Assembly election would be fought under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

He said, "All of us are making efforts to bring the grand coalition government back to power. After the grand coalition government comes, we all will sit together and make a decision about the Chief Minister. The Mahayuti will fight the ensuing Assembly election under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde."

Pawar added, "Everyone has an opinion and a desire, but not everyone gets what they want. But for that, the right to vote is given by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, and ultimately, it is in the hands of the voters. It is also necessary to reach the halfway mark of 145 in the 288-member state Assembly."

On the issue of the CM post-election, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently said, "Eknath Shinde is the head of the state, so we will go to the people under his leadership." He further said that the BJP's Parliamentary Board will take a decision on the post of CM after the assembly election. "The decision taken by the main leaders of the National Democratic Alliance will be acceptable to all of us," he added.

While several BJP leaders have been advocating that Fadnavis should become the CM once again, NCP leaders and party workers are also projecting Ajit Pawar as the next CM with some even putting up posters and banners suggesting that Pawar should be made the next CM of the state post elections.