Sunetra Pawar to be the primary girl Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra

Sunetra Pawar, spouse of the deceased Nationalist Congress Occasion chief Ajit Pawar, is ready to change into the primary girl Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

The NCP plans to carry its Legislature Occasion assembly at 2 p.m. on Saturday (January 31, 2026) to decide on its new Legislature Occasion chief to interchange Mr. Pawar. A small swearing-in ceremony is more likely to occur after that, high sources from the NCP instructed The Hindu on Friday (January 30, 2026).

Political developments quickened in Maharashtra, three days after the sudden loss of life of Mr. Pawar, the NCP supremo and the State’s Deputy CM, in an air crash at Baramati. His spouse is at present the get together’s sitting Member of Parliament within the Rajya Sabha.

Unanimous choice

“There isn’t any query of some other title. We’re all unanimous that Sunetra Pawar should hold apart her grief and settle for the place of Legislature Occasion chief. We are going to inform the Chief Minister thereafter. And the swearing-in ceremony for the place of the Deputy Chief Minister will happen,” Chhagan Bhujbal, senior NCP chief and State Cupboard Minister instructed The Hindu in Mumbai.

NCP State president Sunil Tatkare stated, “Now we have known as a gathering of our legislature get together leaders tomorrow at 2 p.m. We count on that she is going to stay current. We’re going to converse with Sunetra vahini tonight. She has been busy with the spiritual rituals to date.” The choice on the nationwide president will not be the precedence at current, a frontrunner stated.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that his BJP-led authorities would assist the NCP’s choice. “They held a gathering with me twice. The ultimate choice can be taken by their get together. We are going to assist them in no matter choice they take,” he stated.

NCP leaders Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Dhananjay Munde met Mr. Fadnavis at his official bungalow earlier within the day on Friday for a gathering that lasted an hour. “We need to take the choice of appointing a Legislature Occasion chief quickly. There isn’t any distinction within the opinion of the get together and the general public sentiment about who our subsequent chief must be. We need to take this choice on the earliest. Please give us a while to speak with Sunetra Pawar,” Mr. Patel stated.

Ajit Pawar’s elder son Parth Pawar is more likely to change into a Rajya Sabha MP, changing his mom.

Reunification rumors

In the meantime, the NCP appeared cut up over hypothesis in regards to the reunification of the get together with the NCP SP, a faction headed by Pawar’s uncle, veteran politician Sharad Pawar.

Maharashtra Minister Narhari Zhirwal was among the many NCP leaders who expressed their want that the 2 NCPs ought to reunite instantly. “This was Ajit Dada’s final want. At any time when he would meet me, he would say that he was stressed that Saaheb needed to undergo this ache at this age. He wished each the events to reunite,” senior NCP-SP chief Ankush Kakde stated in Pune, A senior NCP chief near the Pawar household in Baramati additionally stated that the events would reunite quickly.

Mr. Bhujbal, nonetheless, stated he was not conscious of any such proposal or sentiments. “Proper now, our precedence is to nominate a Legislature Occasion chief. That’s what we’re going to do as a celebration,” he stated.

NCP sources hinted that the BJP must be consulted earlier than any dialogue of reunification. Sources near the senior leaders within the get together denied any risk of reunification. “There was a cause for which Ajit Pawar had walked out of Sharad Pawar’s NCP. Those that walked out with Ajit Pawar on July 2, 2023, are our household now. That household will take the choice. There isn’t any query of the reunification of each the events,” a senior chief stated on situation of anonymity.