Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said he was the "pilot" and Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were "co-pilots" when the development aircraft of the previous Mahayuti government took off. "Now, Fadnavis is the pilot and the two of us are co-pilots, but the 'development aircraft' is the same," he added. Shinde was speaking at an airport inauguration event in Amravati.