Maharashtra Set To Get First Woman Deputy CM As NCP Moves To Elect Sunetra Pawar

Maharashtra is poised to have its first woman Deputy Chief Minister, with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) scheduling a legislature party meeting on Saturday at 2 pm to elect Sunetra Pawar as its new legislative party leader and Deputy Chief Minister.

The development comes days after the sudden and untimely death of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on Wednesday. Sunetra Pawar is expected to be sworn in later in the evening at the Lok Bhavan.

State NCP chief Sunil Tatkare, after meeting party working president Praful Patel, told reporters, “The legislature party meeting has been convened on Saturday to elect a new leader on Saturday.”

Legislature Party Meeting And Formal Process

The NCP decided to hold the legislature party meeting on January 31 after Sunetra Pawar gave her consent to take on the new responsibility. She is currently a Rajya Sabha member. Sunetra Pawar, accompanied by her son Parth, will leave Baramati early Saturday morning to attend the meeting in Mumbai.

Following her formal election, Tatkare will send a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging him to induct her into the state cabinet as Deputy Chief Minister. He has already written to all party legislators, including 40 MLAs from the state assembly and nine members of the legislative council, asking them to be present at the meeting at Vidhan Bhavan.

Earlier on Friday morning, a high-level NCP delegation met Chief Minister Fadnavis to discuss several issues, including the appointment of a new legislative party leader and Deputy Chief Minister in the aftermath of Ajit Pawar’s death.

The delegation included working president Praful Patel, state unit chief Sunil Tatkare, ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, and former minister Dhananjay Munde. The move follows a leadership vacuum that has emerged within both the NCP and the ruling Mahayuti government.

Leadership Vacuum And Party Consultations

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Patel said, “We discussed a new legislative party leader and Deputy Chief Minister. The meeting of the legislative party will be convened to elect a new leader.”

He added, “We have informed Fadnavis that a decision regarding the cabinet portfolios and leadership must be made as soon as possible. We will finalise our stand after consulting with all our party MLAs.”

Patel said the party would chart its future course of action after considering the views of legislators, office bearers and party cadres.

At the same time, Patel clarified that no formal indication had been given on appointing Sunetra Pawar as Deputy Chief Minister. “We did not discuss Sunetra Pawar’s name with the CM today. That remains an internal party matter,” he said, adding, “The family is still in mourning and performing last rites. We intend to speak with Sunetra Pawar either tonight or tomorrow, once the immediate rituals are concluded.”

Patel further noted, “We have met Sunetra Pawar after the tragic incident and assured her party’s support during the present crisis and in the future also.”

NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal, however, said, “The legislature party meeting of the NCP will be convened on Saturday, where Sunetra Pawar will be named as its leader. Many leaders want her to become the Deputy CM.”

He added, “Senior NCP leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare are looking into the technicalities of the mourning period and other finer details…Sometimes, there is a three-day mourning period, and sometimes 10 days.”

NCP chief whip Anil Bhaidas Patil said the party leadership was yet to finalise the exact timing of the legislators’ meeting. NCP minister Narhari Zirwal, speaking after Ajit Pawar’s funeral in Baramati, said, “It will ensure that the political legacy of the Pawar family continues,” while urging that Sunetra Pawar be made the next Deputy Chief Minister.

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