Sunetra Pawar Unanimously Chosen NCP Legislature Party Leader, Set to Become Maharashtra’s First Woman Deputy CM

Mumbai, Jan 2026 : In a major political development following the tragic death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife and Rajya Sabha member Sunetra Pawar was unanimously elected on Saturday as the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Legislature Party. Her elevation marks a significant moment for the party as well as the state’s political landscape, with Sunetra Pawar now set to take oath as Maharashtra’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister later this evening at Lok Bhavan.

The decision was taken at a meeting of NCP legislators convened at Vidhan Bhavan. Veteran party leader and minister Chhagan Bhujbal proposed Sunetra Pawar’s name, which was seconded by Dilip Patil and supported unanimously by other legislators present. The meeting was held after Sunetra Pawar, still grappling with the shock of her husband’s sudden and untimely demise in a plane crash on Wednesday in Baramati, gave her consent to shoulder the responsibility of leading the legislature party.

State NCP president Sunil Tatkare will formally communicate Sunetra Pawar’s unanimous election to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis through a letter. Following this, the Chief Minister will inform the Governor, paving the way for her induction into the Council of Ministers. Sunetra Pawar is expected to resign from the Rajya Sabha in due course, as she is likely to get elected to the Maharashtra Assembly from the Baramati constituency.

Preparations for Saturday’s crucial meeting began a day earlier, when Tatkare issued a letter directing all party legislators—including 40 MLAs from the Assembly and nine members from the Legislative Council—to remain present. The urgency of the meeting reflected the leadership vacuum that emerged within the NCP as well as the ruling Mahayuti alliance after Ajit Pawar’s death.

Earlier on Friday, a high-level NCP delegation met Chief Minister Fadnavis to discuss a range of pressing issues, including the appointment of the legislature party leader and the continuity of governance. The delegation comprised NCP working president Praful Patel, state unit chief Sunil Tatkare, ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, and former minister Dhananjay Munde. The discussions were seen as crucial to ensuring political stability within the government.

Meanwhile, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar clarified that he was not consulted about Sunetra Pawar’s elevation as Deputy Chief Minister. Addressing a press conference on Saturday morning, he said he had no prior discussion with Sunetra Pawar regarding the development and learnt about the swearing-in ceremony through news reports. His remarks underscored the continuing distance between the two NCP factions following the party’s split.

On the issue of a possible reunification of the two NCP factions, Sharad Pawar confirmed that positive talks had taken place between Ajit Pawar and NCP(SP) leader Jayant Patil. He made a striking disclosure that the merger was almost finalised and that Ajit Pawar was expected to formally announce it on February 12. However, he noted that the sudden demise of Ajit Pawar has disrupted the process.

Following Sharad Pawar’s statement, Ajit Pawar’s son Parth Pawar, along with NCP(SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, met the senior leader to brief him on Sunetra Pawar’s elevation and the evolving political situation. Sharad Pawar later clarified that while merger discussions were underway for nearly four months, he was not directly involved in the negotiations, which were primarily led by Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil.

“It was Ajit Dada’s wish that both NCPs should come together, and it was our wish as well,” Sharad Pawar said, adding that the path toward reunification now faces uncertainty without the leader who initiated the talks. The future course of action, he stressed, will depend on how leaders on both sides choose to proceed in the changed political reality.