NCP leader Ajit Pawar to be sworn in as Maharashtra deputy chief minister

• Ajit Pawar takes oath as Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, third time in four years, reports ndtv.com
• Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis are present at the Raj Bhavan, where an oath ceremony is to be held shortly, reports NDTV

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar will be sworn in as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, sources close to him said on Sunday.

Out of the total 53 NCP MLAs in the state, 30 are apparently with Ajit Pawar, who is the leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.

Ajit Pawar met some party leaders and MLAs at his official residence 'Devgiri' in Mumbai earlier in the day.

Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal and party's working president Supriya Sule were among the leaders present at the meeting.

However, NCP president Sharad Pawar, who was in Pune, said he was unaware of the meet, but added that Ajit Pawar, as leader of opposition in the Assembly, can call a meeting of legislators.