NCP appoints Jitendra Awhad as Leader of Opposition

Hours after Ajit Pawar joined the BJP-Shinde Sena government in Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar's NCP on Sunday named Jitendra Awhad as Leader of the Opposition and chief whip in the state assembly. Ajit Pawar, who today took oath as deputy CM, was the LoP in the Maharashtra Assembly. After joining the NDA, Ajit Pawar said he has the support of almost all NCP MLAs. However, Sharad Pawar said he was the real NCP and that he will rebuild the party. Sharad Pawar said he will hold a meeting with his party leaders on July 6 in Mumbai. 

Earlier, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said he was unaware of the development but he was not worried about whatever happened today. Responding to a question whether Ajit's move was a googly, he said: "This is not 'googly', it is a robbery. It is not a small thing." The NCP supremo also said that he will never say that "my home has split".