NCP to Elect Sunetra Pawar as Legislative Party Leader, Likely to Take Oath as Deputy Chief Minister Today

Mumbai, Jan 2026 : The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is set for a crucial political development on Saturday as it convenes a legislative party meeting at 2 pm, where Sunetra Pawar, wife of the late senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, is expected to be elected as the new leader of the NCP legislative party. Following her election, Sunetra Pawar is likely to take the oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra later in the evening at Lok Bhavan, according to party sources.

This significant development comes in the wake of the sudden and untimely demise of Ajit Pawar, who lost his life in a tragic plane crash on Wednesday. His passing has left a major leadership vacuum in Maharashtra politics as well as within the NCP, prompting swift consultations at the highest levels of the party to ensure continuity and stability.

State NCP president Sunil Tatkare, after holding discussions with party working president Praful Patel, confirmed that the legislative party meeting has been officially scheduled for Saturday. Speaking to reporters, Tatkare said the decision to convene the meeting on January 31 was taken after Sunetra Pawar expressed her willingness to accept the new responsibility. Currently, Sunetra Pawar is serving as a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, and her elevation is being seen as both a symbolic and strategic move for the party.

Sunetra Pawar, accompanied by her son Parth Pawar, is expected to leave Baramati early Saturday morning for Mumbai to attend the legislative party meeting at Vidhan Bhavan. Party leaders believe her presence will help unify the legislators and provide clarity on the party’s future leadership direction.

Following her formal election as legislative party leader, Sunil Tatkare will submit a formal letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, requesting that Sunetra Pawar be inducted into the state cabinet as Deputy Chief Minister. Tatkare has already written to all NCP legislators—40 MLAs from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and nine members from the Legislative Council—urging them to be present at the meeting to ensure a smooth and unanimous decision.

Earlier on Friday morning, a high-level NCP delegation met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the political situation arising after Ajit Pawar’s death. The delegation included Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, senior ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, and former minister Dhananjay Munde. During the meeting, the leaders deliberated on the appointment of a new legislative party leader and the process of filling the vacant Deputy Chief Minister’s post.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Praful Patel stated that the party had informed the Chief Minister about the need for an early decision on leadership and cabinet portfolios to maintain administrative stability. He emphasized that the final stance of the party would be decided only after consulting all NCP MLAs and taking into account the sentiments of party legislators, office bearers, and grassroots workers.

The NCP leadership believes that Sunetra Pawar’s elevation will not only honor Ajit Pawar’s political legacy but also help consolidate the party during a sensitive transition period. If elected and sworn in as planned, Sunetra Pawar will become Maharashtra’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister, marking a historic moment in the state’s political landscape.