"When Jadhav (then a state minister) had made excessive expenditure during the wedding of his son and daughter, Pawar had said he could not sleep. Now, after appointing Jadhav, we wish Pawar a good sleep," state BJP chief Devendra Fadnavis quipped.
After the lavish wedding at Chiplun kicked up a controversy, as it took place in the middle of a severe drought in the state, Pawar had publicly expressed his disapproval. "I could not sleep the whole night when I saw the visuals of the wedding on TV," he had said.
BJP ally Shiv Sena said both Jadhav and Awhad had influence over limited areas. "It is difficult to say that their appointments will have much impact. The party does not run on two persons," Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe said.
"We would say it is old medicine in new bottle, as they have also included (former minister) Gulabrao Devkar in the party's core committee," Gorhe added.