Sunetra Pawar Set to Become Maharashtra’s Deputy CM; Legislative Party Meeting Today

Mumbai: Following the demise of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife Sunetra Pawar is set to take over the role of Deputy Chief Minister in the MahaYuti government. She is expected to be administered the oath of office and secrecy on Saturday evening, which will make her the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of the state.

Legislative Party Meeting to Decide Leadership
Earlier today, the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) convened a meeting of its legislative party at the Maharashtra Legislature to elect its leader. Sunetra Pawar’s name is reportedly the frontrunner for the position.

Maharashtra NCP (AP) President and MP Sunil Tatkare said, “The legislative party meeting will be held at 2 PM on Saturday. All MLAs will be present. Discussions will be held with Sunetra Pawar, and further strategy will be decided. Following the meeting, her name will be forwarded to the Chief Minister for the Deputy CM post. We expect her to attend the meeting.”

Sunetra Pawar Arrives in Mumbai
A quiet atmosphere prevailed outside the late Ajit Pawar’s residence in Mumbai. Representatives of the National Child Labour Committee are scheduled to assemble at the Legislature at 2 PM for the meeting. Sunetra Pawar, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, arrived at her Mumbai residence late on Friday night in preparation for the proceedings.

Chhagan Bhujbal Backs Decision
Senior NCP leader and Cabinet Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said, “Many leaders believe this responsibility should go to Sunetra Pawar. I see nothing wrong in this. The final decision will be taken in the legislative party meeting.” He added that if consensus is reached during the meeting, the oath ceremony could be conducted the same day. Senior party leaders Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, and Dhananjay Munde have also been actively involved in discussions. However, due to the ongoing period of mourning and some technical formalities, no official announcement has yet been made.

Merger Talks Between the Two NCP Factions
On the topic of a potential merger between the two NCP factions, party leader Eknath Khadse said that discussions between Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar had reached the final stage, which is why both factions had contested the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal elections together. Ajit Pawar had expressed a desire for the merger, a fact confirmed by NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Rajesh Tope. He added that while the discussions were ongoing, the unfortunate plane crash of Ajit Pawar has complicated the situation.