Ajit Pawar's widow Sunetra scripts history, takes oath as Maharashtra's 1st woman Deputy CM; NCP leaders chant 'Ajit Dada Amar Rahe'

Sunetra Pawar, wife of former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, was on Saturday sworn in as Maharashtra's first woman Deputy Chief Minister, days after the sudden demise of her husband in a plane crash.

Governor Acharya Devvrat administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sunetra Pawar at a simple ceremony held at Lok Bhavan in view of the recent tragedy. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, ministers, and legislators were present on the occasion.

After the oath-taking ceremony, Ajit Pawar's supporters raised slogans -- Amar Rahe Amar Rahe, Supriya tai aage badho.

Earlier in the day, Sunetra Pawar was unanimously elected as the NCP Legislature Party leader. Her name was proposed by party veteran Chhagan Bhujbal and seconded by Dilip Walse Patil and other legislators. The meeting was convened after Sunetra Pawar, who has yet to recover from the deep shock following the sudden and untimely demise of her husband in the plane crash on Wednesday in Baramati, gave her consent to take the responsibility of the legislature party leader.

State NCP chief Sunil Tatkare submitted a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis conveying the unanimous election of Sunetra Pawar as the legislature party leader. Thereafter, the CM communicated to the state Governor about Sunetra Pawar's induction in the Council of Ministers.

On Friday, Tatkare had dashed off a letter to all party legislators, including 40 from the state assembly and nine from the state council, to remain present at the legislature party meeting at Vidhan Bhavan.

On Friday, a high-level NCP delegation met Fadnavis and discussed a whole range of issues, including the appointment of the legislative party leader and deputy chief minister in the wake of the sudden and untimely death of Ajit Pawar. The delegation included party working president Praful Patel, state unit chief Sunil Tatkare, ministers Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, and former minister Dhananjay Munde. The development took place after a significant leadership vacuum emerged within both the NCP and the MahaYuti government.

Meanwhile, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar clarified that he was not consulted regarding Sunetra Pawar's elevation as the Maharashtra deputy chief minister. "I have had no discussion with Sunetra Pawar regarding this. I only learned about the swearing-in ceremony through the media," he stated at a press conference on Saturday.

On the merger between the two NCP factions, he confirmed that positive talks regarding reunification took place between Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil. He made a sensational claim that the merger was almost finalized and Ajit Pawar was set to announce it on February 12.

After Sharad Pawar claimed that he was not in the know of Sunetra Pawar's election as the legislature party leader and elevation as Deputy CM, Ajit Pawar's son Parth Pawar, along with NCP(SP) legislator Rohit Pawar, met Pawar senior and briefed him about these developments.

Sharad Pawar clarified that while the talks were happening, he was not directly involved in the negotiations. They were led by Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil, he said. "It was Ajit Dada's wish that both NCPs should come together, and it was our wish as well," he stated.

He noted that the sudden demise of Ajit Pawar has now caused a break in these merger discussions. The future course of action will now depend on the leaders of both sides.

Sharad Pawar emphasized that the roadmap was clear, saying that for four months, discussions were held to reunite the party. However, with the leader who initiated these talks no longer present, the process faces a significant challenge.

"We cannot bring back the one who has gone. Facing the current situation is a challenge, and someone must take up Ajit Pawar's responsibility," he concluded.

When asked about Sunetra Pawar's appointment, Sharad Pawar distanced himself from the decision. He further added, "The party [NCP] is theirs to run. Leaders like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare have the authority to make these decisions, and I will not comment on their internal choices. Our political paths are different. While the family stands together in grief, politics remains separate."

Paying tribute to Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar described him as a tireless and capable leader deeply connected with the people. "He began work at dawn every day. Had he been with us today, he would not have been at home but out in the field," he said, calling the loss a major blow to both the family and the state.

(With inputs from IANS)