Show Quick Read
Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom
Sunetra Pawar on Saturday took oath as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, becoming the first woman to hold the post. The swearing-in ceremony was held at Lok Bhavan and was attended by several senior leaders, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Chhagan Bhujbal and NCP leader Praful Patel. Visuals from the venue showed Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat arriving at Lok Bhavan along with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ahead of the ceremony.
Ajit Pawar Death, Leadership Shift
Earlier in the day, Sunetra Pawar was unanimously elected leader of the legislative party of the NCP faction led by the late Ajit Pawar, formally paving the way for her elevation to the deputy chief minister’s post. Ajit Pawar died earlier this week after a small aircraft crashed near an airstrip in Baramati town during its second attempt to land following a go-around. Two pilots, a flight attendant and Ajit Pawar’s security officer were also killed in the crash. The cause of the accident remains unclear, and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), under the civil aviation ministry, is probing the incident.
NCP Split, Merger Talks Intensify
In 2023, Ajit Pawar, along with several NCP MLAs, joined Maharashtra’s Mahayuti coalition government comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde. The move resulted in a split within the NCP, with one faction backing Ajit Pawar and the other aligning with party founder Sharad Pawar. Despite the division, the two NCP factions recently contested the municipal elections in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad together, signalling a possible thaw in relations. Sunetra Pawar’s elevation comes amid ongoing talks between the two groups over a potential merger.
Electoral Loss, Merger Signals Emerge
Sunetra Pawar had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Baramati as the candidate of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction but was defeated by her sister-in-law Supriya Sule of the Sharad Pawar-led group. She was later elected to the Rajya Sabha in June 2024. Earlier on Saturday, Sharad Pawar said he was unaware of Sunetra Pawar’s decision to accept the deputy chief minister’s post. He also confirmed that Ajit Pawar had been keen on reuniting the two NCP factions, indicating that efforts toward a merger were already underway.
Bengal Polls: Humayun Kabir’s Murshidabad Rally with AIMIM Support Signals Major Political Shift Ahead of Bengal 2026 Polls
Doonited Affiliated: Syndicate News Hunt
This report has been published as part of an auto-generated syndicated wire feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been modified or edited by Doonited
