Napgur: Maharashtra minister Dharmaraobaba Atram on Friday claimed Ajit Pawar would become chief minister of the state soon.

Speaking to media persons here, he said the strength of the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party had increased in the recently held gram panchayat polls due to the power of the deputy chief minister.

"I have been saying for a long time that Ajit Pawar will become chief minister. This will happen very soon," the state Food and Drug Administration minister said without elaborating.

The MLA from Aheri in Gadchiroli said Ajit Pawar had come down with dengue or the NCP faction under the latter would have won more seats in the gram panchayat polls, which were held on November 5 and results were declared the next day.

Ajit Pawar and eight NCP MLAs, including Dharmaraobaba Atram, had joined the Eknath Shinde government on July 2.