MUMBAI: Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis once again proved he is the man his party turns to in the state when it is in dire straits.

With recent surveys showing the MVA was likely to win more seats than the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP was keen to engineer a split in the MVA, and Fadnavis delivered.

His cordial relationship with Ajit Pawar helped the latter to again join forces with BJP.

Also See: Maharashtra Political Crisis LiveDespite the embarrassment of the 2019 early morning swearing-in and their short-lived government, the bond between the two remained strong.

And it enabled the two leaders to come together and helped Fadnavis accomplish New Delhi's directive, pulling the rug from under Sharad Pawar's feet.Last year, Fadnavis played a key role in Eknath Shinde's switchover.In the recent budget session, the then opposition leader Ajit Pawar politely raised the issue of bribe and blackmail of Amruta Fadnavis, wife of the deputy CM and home minister Fadnavis, by Aniksha Jaisinghani in the legislative assembly.

Ajit said in the House that people were talking about it and there was a need for the government to clarify.

Immediately, Fadnavis thanked him for raising the issue and made a detailed statement, but there were no counter-questions from Ajit Pawar.

"There was complete understanding between the two leaders and it seemed as though they were on the same side," said observers.That was not the first time.

As opposition leader, Ajit mostly avoided raising questions on controversial issues and never criticised Fadnavis.

The same courtesy was extended by Fadnavis to Ajit Pawar.

Both CM Shinde and Fadnavis addressed him as "Ajit dada." While Fadnavis went all out to criticise Sharad Pawar, he spared his nephew although the 2014 assembly elections were fought by the BJP on the alleged Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam with Ajit Pawar depicted as the face of the scam.03:00Major political coup in Maharashtra, NCP’s Ajit Pawar joins NDA governmentA few days ago, PM Modi referred to the irrigation scam.

He termed NCP as a corrupt party and said a vote for it would be a vote for Supriya Sule (Pawar's daughter).

Modi did not mention Ajit.