Sunetra Pawar to become Maharashtra Deputy CM days after Ajit Pawar's death, oath ceremony on Saturday

Sunetra Pawar, wife of late Ajit Pawar, would take oath as the next Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra at 5 PM on Saturday, 31 January. She would also be appointed as the Chief of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, NCP has called its MLAs meeting at Vidhan Bhavan at 2.00 pm – where Sunetra is set to be named as its leader, state minister Chhagan Bhujbal said on Friday, 30 January.

The announcement comes two days after Ajit Pawar's death. The former Deputy CM passed away on Wednesday, 28 January in a plane crash near Baramati airport.

Sunetra Pawar is currently a Rajya Sabha MP and not a member of either House of the Maharashtra legislature. However, the Baramati assembly seat in Pune district has fallen vacant after Ajit Pawar's death.

Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the state, along with the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

How Ajit Pawar's plane crash-landed

Ajit Pawar was scheduled to attend four key public meetings on Wednesday. The accident occurred in the morning when the 66-year-old was flying to his hometown to address public meetings ahead of the Zilla Parishad polls.

The NCP leader was aboard Learjet 45 aircraft which crash-landed on Wednesday.

“The aircraft VT SSK was attempting a landing, and the aircraft went off the side of the runway and crashed,” said Baramati airport manager Shivaji Taware, Hindustan Times had reported earlier.

Ajit Pawar was on board the Learjet 45 with five other individuals – including the crew and his security staff – all of who died.

Known for his deep political roots and cooperative efforts, Pawar's sudden demise left a significant void in Maharashtra's political landscape.

Earlier, Maharashtra FDA minister Narhari Zirwal – a close aide of the deceased NCP leader – had said that the public wants Sunetra Pawar to hold a cabinet berth in the state government.

‘…want her to become deputy CM’

Chhagan Bhujbal, while speaking to reporters on Friday, said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has conveyed that he has no issues if Sunetra's oath-taking ceremony as the deputy CM takes place on Saturday.

“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,” news wire PTI quoted Bhujbal as saying.