Mumbai: Sunetra Pawar, Rajya Sabha MP and wife of late NCP chief Ajit Pawar is set to take oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister today after her husband died in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28. She would be the first woman to hold the post in the state.
Where Will the Oath-Taking Ceremony Take Place?
The oath-taking ceremony of Sunetra Pawar will take place at 5 pm at Lok Bhavan (previously known as Raj Bhavan). The Governor is expected to arrive in Mumbai at 4 pm, as he is currently out of the city, according to a report by news agency IANS.
Earlier in the day, NCP leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare met Sunetra Pawar at the official residence of her late husband Ajit Pawar, ahead of the legislature party meeting. The legislature party meeting is scheduled to be held at 2 pm in the Vidhan Bhavan office. In the NCP's legislature wing, a meeting will be held where she would be named as its leader, state minister and senior party leader Chhagan Bhujbal said.
Following Ajit Pawar's death, a section of NCP leaders had demanded that she be given the post held by her late husband in the Devendra Fadnavis-led cabinet.
While speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the BJP, which heads the ruling alliance Mahayuti, would support any decision taken by the family and party of late Ajit Pawar. "The NCP will take whatever decision it has to take for the post of deputy chief minister, and the government and the BJP will support the decision. I can only tell you that we are standing behind the family of Ajit Dada and the NCP," the CM added.
Until the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sunetra Pawar had kept a low profile. In the general elections that year, she stood from Baramati as the candidate of her husband's party, but was defeated by her sister-in-law and incumbent NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule in the prestige battle. Sunetra Pawar was subsequently elected to the Rajya Sabha.
The NCP's tally in the 288-member assembly came down to 40 with Ajit Pawar's death. The late leader was the MLA from the Baramati assembly seat in Pune district. Meanwhile, with fast-paced political developments in the NCP, the issue of a possible merger between the party and its rival faction NCP (SP), a constituent of the Opposition grouping MVA, is likely to be put on the back burner for now.
NCP leaders insisted priority now was to fill the vacant posts of legislature party leader and Deputy Chief Minister, both held by the late Ajit Pawar.
"A merger is the need of the hour to build a strong NCP and provide an effective political alternative. Talks had reached an advanced stage, but in Ajit Pawar's absence, the question now is who will take the final decision," a senior NCP (SP) leader said.
'No Information On Sunetra's Swearing-In': Sharad Pawar
Sharad Pawar had told reporters in Baramati that he had no information about Sunetra Pawar’s name being proposed for the Deputy Chief Minister’s post.
“I have no information about it. Her party must have decided,” he said, making it clear that decisions regarding leadership changes were being taken by the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction and leaders of the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
