Sharad Pawar said he had no prior knowledge about the proposed swearing-in of Sunetra Pawar as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and made it clear that the decision was taken entirely by her party, the faction of the Nationalist Congress Party led by his late nephew Ajit Pawar. He stressed that he was neither consulted nor informed about the move.
Responding to questions from reporters, Pawar said he had only come across media reports mentioning that certain leaders from Ajit Pawar’s party had taken the initiative. He named senior leaders such as Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, but reiterated that no discussions were held with him on the matter. He added that, as of now, he did not even know for certain whether the oath-taking was actually going to take place.
Sources indicated that the leadership of the NCP faction headed by Sharad Pawar, as well as members of his family, were unaware of Sunetra Pawar’s decision to join the BJP-led government in Maharashtra. The development appears to have taken shape without any coordination with the Sharad Pawar camp.
Sharad Pawar also spoke about the stalled talks on a possible merger between the two NCP factions. He said discussions on reunification had been underway for nearly four months and were being spearheaded by Ajit Pawar and senior leader Jayant Patil. According to him, the process has now been paused in the wake of Ajit Pawar’s death.
He explained that the merger plan had reached an advanced stage and that even a tentative date had been fixed for February 12. However, Ajit Pawar’s sudden demise meant that those plans could not be carried forward. Pawar said that, under the circumstances, the family and party felt it was appropriate to respect what they believed would have been Ajit Pawar’s wishes.
The Nationalist Congress Party split in July 2023, when Ajit Pawar broke away with more than 40 MLAs to join the BJP-led Mahayuti government. Following the split, Sharad Pawar renamed his faction the Nationalist Congress Party–Sharadchandra Pawar to distinguish it from the breakaway group.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Mahayuti alliance would stand by whatever decision the NCP takes regarding the vacant Deputy Chief Minister’s post. He said the ruling alliance was extending full support to Ajit Pawar’s family and his party during this period.
Ajit Pawar, 66, died on Wednesday after the Learjet 45 he was travelling in crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport. Four others, including his personal security officer and members of the flight crew, also lost their lives in the accident. His last rites were performed with full state honours in Baramati, attended by several senior political leaders and dignitaries.
Sunetra Pawar, who is not currently a member of either House of the Maharashtra legislature, is expected to be elected as the leader of the NCP’s legislative wing at a party meeting in Mumbai. Following that, she is likely to be sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister. She returned to the official residence of her late husband in south Mumbai in the early hours, accompanied by her son Parth.
