Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sunetra Pawar, wife of late Ajit Pawar, is likely to take oath as the new Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister on Saturday, sources said. The post fell vacant following the 66-year-old leader’s death in a plane crash in his hometown Baramati earlier this week.
`
If sworn in, Sunetra Pawar will become the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
According to sources, the NCP will hold a legislature party meeting at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai at 2 pm on Saturday to formally finalise her name. This is expected to be followed by her oath-taking ceremony later in the evening.
The development came hours after senior Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal publicly indicated that Sunetra Pawar could assume her late husband’s vacant post.
“Many people believe that Sunetra Pawar should be given this responsibility, and I don’t think that demand is unreasonable,” Bhujbal said.
He added: “The currently vacant Deputy Chief Minister’s post can be filled by Sunetra ji, and our focus is on this. Things will happen as the people wish. Tomorrow’s meeting is primarily to elect the legislature party leader.”
Not a Member of State Legislature Yet
Sunetra Pawar is currently a Rajya Sabha MP and is not a member of either House of the Maharashtra legislature. However, the Baramati Assembly seat in Pune district has fallen vacant following Ajit Pawar’s death.
ALSO READ: Confident Group chairman CJ Roy dies by suicide amid IT raids at Bengaluru office
Earlier, NCP working president Praful Patel said there was no opposition within the party to Sunetra Pawar becoming the leader of the NCP legislature wing.
Ajit Pawar died on Wednesday morning after the aircraft carrying him crash-landed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district. All five people on board the chartered plane were killed, including his personal security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.
Fondly known as Dada, Pawar was cremated with full state honours at the Vidya Pratishthan College ground, around 100 km from Pune, in the presence of senior political leaders and thousands of people. His ashes were immersed on Friday at the confluence of the Nira and Karha rivers near Baramati.
Political Impact and CID Probe
Sources said Ajit Pawar’s sudden death may accelerate efforts to reunify the two factions of the NCP, particularly after the upcoming zilla parishad and panchayat samiti election results. The party had split in 2023, with Ajit Pawar leading one faction.
Notably, the two factions contested the January 15 civic elections in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad together.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Police have issued orders for a CID probe into the accidental death case registered at Baramati.
