Former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari took a swipe at deputy CM Ajit Pawar in a recent interview. Koshyari mocked Ajit Pawar’s repeated readiness to become deputy CM, stating, ‘No matter how many times you ask Ajit Pawar to become deputy CM…he is ready to become that many times.’ Koshyari’s comment was met with laughter. The former governor went on to praise Ajit Pawar for his significant mass base and control over the party organization, asserting that most MLAs and MPs supported him. Koshyari also expressed his admiration for Sharad Pawar, mentioning that he respected him a lot and appreciated their candid conversations during visits to Raj Bhavan. Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar indirectly criticized the NCP leadership, claiming that they had given away the CM’s post twice in the past. He argued that the NCP could have claimed the post in 2004 after winning the maximum number of seats. Ajit Pawar further stated that even when Uddhav Thackeray joined the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, the NCP could have negotiated for the CM’s post for 2.5 years since Shiv Sena had fewer MLAs at the time, but no discussions were held on the matter.