Mumbai: Shiv Sena's (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut on Saturday said that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar has the potential to become the CM of Maharashtra as he has a lot of administrative experience. Raut said in an apparent reference to Eknath Shinde that some unqualified people became the CM by partition. Shinde had revolted with 40 MLAs in June last year, due to which the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state fell. Raut told the media, "Who would not want to be the chief minister?" And Ajit Pawar is capable enough to become the CM. He has been in politics for many years and has been a minister many times. He holds the record of holding the post of Deputy CM for the maximum number of times. Everyone thinks he should become the CM." Raut's statement came a day after Pawar, in an interview to a media house in Pune, had said, Yes, I would 100 per cent want to become the CM." Asked about it, Raut said, "He (Pawar) has not expressed this desire for the first time, so I wish him all the best." In an informal interview with Sakal Media Group in Pune for an event called 'Dilkhulas Dada', Pawar said he had heard even before the June 2022 rebellion in the Shiv Sena that the current CM Eknath Shinde was unhappy and had something on his mind. Its going on. Pawar revealed that in 2004, when the NCP had won more seats than its alliance partner Congress, his then colleague late RR Patil could have become the CM, but a message came from Delhi that his party would get the deputy CM's post. Asked if the NCP would stake claim for the CM post in next year's assembly polls, he remarked, "Why 2024, we are still ready to stake claim for the CM post." 'Officials oppressing people, not the law, goondaraj', Govind Singh attacked the Shivraj government Truck carrying 31 tonnes of sugar collided with bus, 4 died tragically After the rains in Delhi-NCR, the weather has changed, know how the situation