"Clean bowled": Nawab Malik reminds Gadkari about Sharad Pawar's stint as ICC chairman

Soon after BJP's Devendra Fadnavis resigned and said that BJP will sit in Opposition in Maharashtra assembly, NCP spokesperson, Nawab Malik took potshots on BJP's senior leader Nitin Gadkari over his remarks that "anything can happen in cricket and politics."  Malik on Tuesday said that Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has clean bowled the BJP over government formation in Maharashtra and reminded Gadkari that he had been the ICC chairman in past.

Taking to Twitter, Malik said, "BJP leader Nitin Gadkari was saying that anything can happen in cricket and politics anytime. Probably he forgot that Sharad Pawar had been ICC Chairman. Bowled out."

Earlier on November 14, addressing a public gathering in Mumbai, Gadkari had said: "Anything can happen in cricket and politics. Somewhere you will feel that you are losing the match, but the result is exactly opposite to that," he said. When asked about the Maharashtra government formation, he added, "The party who is forming the government will give an appropriate answer for that. In Indian experience, this will not create a difference, with respect to projects." After Fadnavis' and Ajit Pawar's oath-taking, he had said, "Everyone was worried about what will happen in Maharashtra, now see what has happened, now you know what I meant. Maharashtra has got its CM and deputy CM today and the government will be a stable one," he said.

READ: NCP's Ajit Pawar resigns as Maharashtra's Deputy CM

Maharashtra's political twists

In what is being called a major twist in Maharashtra's political scenario, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar resigned from his post on Tuesday. Soon after his resignation, Devendra Fadnavis also resigned and said that BJP will sit in Opposition. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi unanimously chose Uddhav Thackeray as the next CM of the state. It was announced that he will take oath on December 1 at Shivaji Park. Ajit Pawar, on the other side, skipped the joint meeting but met NCP supremo Sharad Pawar at his residence. 

READ: NCP's efforts continue as Ajit Pawar drops hint after meeting senior party netas: Sources

Fadnavis took oath as CM, Ajit Pawar as Deputy CM

In a massive turn of events, BJP's Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday morning was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and NCP's Ajit Pawar was sworn-in as Deputy CM. Ajit Pawar had claimed that he has the support of a few other NCP MLAs. Distancing his party from Ajit Pawar's decision, Sharad Pawar removed him from as leader of the NCP Legislative Party and appointed Jayant Patil at his place.

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This development came after almost a month-long drama in which all the parties were given a chance by the Governor to form the government in Maharashtra, failing which President Rule was imposed. The election result in the state gave a clear mandate to the Mahayuti, which had a fallout over the CM post. BJP won 105 seats and Sena 56 seats. The NCP bagged 54 seats, and the Congress won 44 seats.

SENSATIONAL: CM Devendra Fadnavis to resign, says 'BJP won't form Govt, will sit in Oppn'