NCP leader Ajit Pawar resigns as MLA, keeps uncle Sharad Pawar in dark

Mumbai: In a development that is bound to create ripples in Maharashtra politics, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday resigned as a member of the Legislative Assembly.

While Speaker Haribhau Bagade accepted Mr Pawar’s resignation, the reasons behind his resignation were yet to be ascertained.

Moreover, Mr Pawar remained incommunicado all through the day, deepening the mystery behind the decision.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar, too, claimed that his nephew kept him in the dark over his decision, as he did not speak to him before or after resigning as a member of the Assembly.

Speaking to media, the embattled NCP chief claimed to have spoken to Mr Pawar’s son, who had told him that Ajit Pawar was upset over his uncle’s name appearing in the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank (MSCB) scam.