New Delhi: Sunetra Pawar, wife of late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, is set to take oath as the new Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The decision was taken by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), but NCP (Sharad Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar has said the Pawar family was not consulted and that he learnt about the ceremony through the media.
Sharad Pawar Says Family Not Taken Into Confidence
Addressing a press conference in Baramati, Sharad Pawar was asked whether he had been sidelined in the process of selecting Ajit Pawar’s successor. He responded, “I don’t know,” clearly indicating a separation between political decisions and family matters.
Sharad Pawar added that he came to know about Sunetra Pawar’s planned swearing-in only from news reports. “We don’t know about the swearing-in. We got to know about it through the news. I have no idea about the swearing-in,” he said, when asked if any member of the Pawar family would attend the oath ceremony.
NCP Split And Ajit Pawar’s Bid For Reunion
The development comes against the backdrop of a split in the NCP in July 2023, when Ajit Pawar walked out of his uncle’s camp and joined hands with the ruling alliance, effectively creating a rival faction in Maharashtra politics.
NCP (SP) leader Ankush Kakade has claimed that Ajit Pawar recently wanted to mend ties with Sharad Pawar. According to him, Ajit Pawar wished to give a “gift of reunion” to Sharad Pawar on his birthday on December 12, and had asked senior leaders close to the veteran, including Vitthal Sheth Maniar and Srinivas Patil, to explore whether both NCP factions could come together again.
Although that plan did not materialise, Kakade said Ajit Pawar believed the two groups could still reunite after the elections. “Unfortunately, he could not fulfil the wish,” Kakade said.
January 17 Meeting And Planned NCP Reunion
NDTV has accessed details of a meeting held on January 17 between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar to discuss a possible reunion of the party. According to sources, the Pawars had tentatively decided to announce the reunion on February 12.
When asked about these talks, Sharad Pawar confirmed that Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil were present during the discussions, and said that Jayant Patil would now take a call on the future course of action for the NCP (SP) camp.
Ajit Pawar’s Death In Plane Crash
The political churn is taking place in the shadow of a tragic air crash. Ajit Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati when the small aircraft he was on board, a Learjet 45 owned and operated by VSR Ventures, crashed during a second attempt to land.
There were four others on the aircraft: pilot Sumit Kapur, co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak, Ajit Pawar’s personal security officer Vidip Jadhav, and flight attendant Pinky Mali. All five people on board were killed in the crash.
What Sunetra Pawar’s Elevation Means For Maharashtra Politics
With Sunetra Pawar now set to be sworn in as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, the NCP appears keen to project continuity by elevating a member of Ajit Pawar’s immediate family. The move also keeps the Ajit Pawar faction’s political space intact after his sudden death.
At the same time, Sharad Pawar’s public statement that the family was not consulted highlights the complex mix of grief, succession politics and unresolved equations within the Pawar family and the broader NCP. How Sunetra Pawar’s elevation reshapes alliances and equations in Maharashtra politics will be closely watched in the coming days.
