NCP Weighs Inducting Sunetra Pawar into Maharashtra Cabinet After Ajit Pawar’s Death

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is considering inducting Sunetra Pawar, wife of late Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, into the state ministry following his death in a plane crash on Wednesday.

Senior NCP leader and Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zirwal said public sentiment strongly favours her inclusion in the government.

“There is a clear demand from the people that Sunetra Pawar, also called ‘vahini,’ should be given responsibility in the ministry,” Zirwal told PTI.

Leadership Transition Underway

The move comes amid uncertainty over the future of the NCP after Ajit Pawar’s death, including questions about whether the party faction will reunite with Sharad Pawar’s camp or continue with the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

According to an India Today report, senior leaders such as Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Munde, and Sunil Tatkare have held several meetings with Sunetra Pawar as part of internal discussions on leadership succession and political strategy.

Sources said she is likely to contest from the Baramati constituency vacated by Ajit Pawar if elections are announced, marking her formal entry into electoral politics.

Possible Deputy CM Role

The report also indicated that the NCP is considering proposing Sunetra Pawar’s appointment as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister, a position held by Ajit Pawar in the current Mahayuti government.

Senior party leaders are expected to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the proposal and outline the future roadmap of the ruling alliance.

Meanwhile, Praful Patel, the NCP’s working president, is expected to play a key role in steering the party during this transitional phase.

Party Unity and Merger Talks

On the possibility of a merger with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), party sources said formal discussions may be deferred, although backchannel talks have been ongoing since the municipal corporation elections.

Zirwal, however, said internal divisions had largely faded, adding that leaders now realise fragmentation serves no purpose.

Political Background

Sunetra Pawar is currently a Rajya Sabha member, according to official parliamentary records.

Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction remains a key partner in the ruling Mahayuti alliance, along with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Ajit Pawar and four others were killed on Wednesday when a chartered aircraft crashed near the tabletop airstrip at Baramati in Pune district. He was cremated with full state honours on Thursday.

Ajit Pawar had joined the then Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government in July 2023, a move that led to a split in the NCP founded by his uncle, Sharad Pawar.