 "UM Ramdas Athawale")
Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at the latter's residence here on Thursday and said Pawar's support to the NDA will "further weaken" the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
Athawale, who heads the Republican Party of India (A), said it was a courtesy visit after Pawar became the deputy CM of the state.
Ajit Pawar on Sunday led a vertical split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to become deputy chief minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government.
Eight other NCP MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, were sworn in as ministers in the Eknath Shinde cabinet.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the deputy CM, Athawale said, Ajit Pawar's support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has increased the strength (of the ruling side) in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly to more than 200. His support will result in the MVA getting weakened further.
The MVA comprises the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction and the Congress.
In June last year, the MVA government of Thackeray collapsed after a revolt led by Eknath Shinde against the Shiv Sena leadership. The revolt also led to a split in the Shiv Sena.
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