Maharashtra

Mumbai | 30 Jan 2026 Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Friday strongly criticized discussions over the successor of late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, calling it “inhumane” to raise such issues while the family is still mourning. Pawar tragically died in a plane crash on the morning of 28 January near Baramati, Pune district, along with four others. His funeral, held on Thursday in Baramati, saw a large gathering as locals bid tearful farewell to the senior NCP leader. Raut said, “Raising questions about Ajit Dada’s successor immediately after his death shows a lack of humanity. Whether ministers or MLAs, those who are discussing leadership succession have no sensitivity. His wife, Sunetra Pawar, is still grieving the loss of her husband.” ...

Mumbai | 30 Jan 2026 :Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) working president Praful Patel on Friday stated that there is no opposition to late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, assuming the position of NCP legislature party leader. He added, however, that the family’s consent will be sought before formally filling the key post. Patel said the immediate priority is to fill the vacant positions of Deputy Chief Minister and NCP legislature party leader, both of which were held by Ajit Pawar at the time of his death. He clarified that appointments to the top organizational position, previously held by the late leader as party president, are not under consideration at this stage. Speaking to reporters, Patel noted that party leaders have met Chief Minister De...

In a shocking incident that has intensified political tensions in Maharashtra, a group of nearly 12 masked men allegedly attempted to abduct 20 newly elected Congress corporators from the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation on Thursday morning. The incident occurred near a toll plaza in Wardha district, at a time when political manoeuvring over the Chandrapur mayoral election has reached a critical stage. According to police sources, the corporators were travelling in a bus to Nagpur, where they were scheduled to complete group registration formalities at the Divisional Commissioner’s office. Congress has emerged as the single largest party in the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation but has fallen short of an absolute majority, making every corporator politically crucial. Corporators Re...

The sudden demise of senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar has plunged Maharashtra’s political landscape into deep uncertainty. While the Pawar family has maintained a studied silence, intense deliberations are reportedly underway within the party and the ruling Mahayuti alliance over the question of political succession. The development comes at a crucial juncture, as talks regarding the merger of the two NCP factions were nearing a decisive stage. Ajit Pawar was widely believed to be preparing an official announcement on the unification of the party following the district council election results expected in early February. According to party insiders, the sudden turn of events has forced the leadership to temporarily put the merger process on hold. Merger Ta...

Mumbai: A major political development has emerged in Maharashtra following the untimely death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Senior leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday to discuss leadership succession and departmental portfolios within the state government. According to sources, the NCP delegation—including Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Sunil Tatkare—briefed the Chief Minister on the party’s internal consensus. There is speculation that Sunetra Pawar, currently a Rajya Sabha member and Ajit Pawar’s relative, may be appointed as the new Deputy Chief Minister, though no official statement has been made yet. Ajit Pawar’s Portfolios and Succession Under the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by CM Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar...

Mumbai, January 30, 2026: Following the sudden demise of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, a wave of grief has swept through the state’s political, social, and economic spheres. Amid discussions over his successor, senior leaders from the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP have revealed that Ajit Pawar had been preparing to announce the formal merger of both NCP factions after the conclusion of the district council elections. Sources indicate that Ajit Pawar had set February 8, 2026, as the date to finalize the merger, a plan cut short by his untimely death. Following his passing, Sunetra Pawar, his wife, is being considered as his political successor, while talks of uniting the two NCP factions continue. Merger Preparations Underway:According to reports, di...