Sunetra Pawar, the wife of late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and a Rajya Sabha member, has been unanimously chosen as the NCP Legislature Party leader. This decision was made following a meeting where her nomination was proposed by Chhagan Bhujbal and supported by Dilip Patil and other legislators. Despite the recent tragic loss of her husband in a plane crash, Sunetra Pawar has accepted the responsibility and is poised to become the first female Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
State NCP chief Sunil Tatkare will inform Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about Sunetra Pawar’s election, leading to her induction into the Council of Ministers. Subsequently, she will step down from the Rajya Sabha to contest and likely win the Baramati Assembly seat. The party has called for all legislators to attend the legislative party meeting at Vidhan Bhavan to formalize these developments.
A high-level NCP delegation, including key party members, recently met with Devendra Fadnavis to discuss various issues, including the appointment of the Legislative Party leader and Deputy Chief Minister. Meanwhile, NCP leader Sharad Pawar clarified that he was not consulted about Sunetra Pawar’s elevation. He also revealed ongoing talks between factions for a potential merger, which were spearheaded by Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil.
