Mumbai: Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, has sent his resignation to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan over allegations of an irrigation scam. Mr Pawar belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party or NCP, headed by his uncle, Sharad Pawar, who is Union Agriculture Minister. Mr Pawar senior has stressed that his party supports what he called his nephew's independent decision, but also sought to make clear that this will not affect ties with the Congress. All 20 NCP ministers  have submitted their resignations to the state party chief  Madhukar Pichad. But Mr Pawar told NDTV no one else will be "permitted" to resign.