Ajit Pawar’s uncle and Nationalist Congress Party chief (Sharad Chandra Pawar) said he did not know if his nephew’s wife Sunetra Pawar would be sworn in as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister on Saturday after Ajit Pawar’s tragic death in a plane crash on Wednesday.
NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar said that the merger talks of both the NCP factions have been going on for the last four months. (File/PTI)Pawar senior added that there were discussions about merging the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party and Ajit Pawar was of the opinion that the merger should take place on February 12.
Sharad Pawar He said that the merger talks were going on for the last four months. He also said that they still want the two sides to unite.
Also read: Sunetra Pawar will take oath as the first woman Deputy CM of Maharashtra today at 5 pm
The Undivided Nationalist Congress Party founder admitted that while he was not actively part of the merger talks, they were held between Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction chief Jayant Patil and Ajit Pawar. However, he added that merger talks have been put on hold after his nephew died in a plane crash.
More Read
Maharashtra’s political landscape changed drastically when four others, including Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, died on board, the ill-fated VT-SSK Learjet 45 business jet crashed on landing and en route to Baramati. Apart from Ajit, four others on board who lost their lives include his personal security officer Vidhi Yadav, pilot-in-command Sumit Kapoor, first officer Shambavi Pathak and cabin crew member Pinky Mali.
Also read: Sunetra Pawar is the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of the state
Sunetra Pawar to take oath as Deputy CM of MaharashtraAjit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar, also a Rajya Sabha member, will take oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister in his shoes after his death, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders aware of the matter said, Hindustan Times reported earlier.
More Read
Sunetra Pawar is also likely to be elected as the leader of the NCP legislature party before taking oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister on Saturday.
To decide on the matter and elect Sunetra Pawar as the new NCP leader, the party’s 40 MLAs are likely to meet in Mumbai at Vidhan Bhawan on Saturday at 2 pm. After his election as NCP leader, Sunetra Pawar is likely to take oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister in a low-key ceremony at Lok Bhavan at 5 pm, according to party officials.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis Friday also said the Mahayuti alliance would support the party’s decision to fill the vacant deputy CM post in the state. “The decision will be taken by NCP. We will stand by whatever decision NCP takes… We stand by Ajit Pawar and NCP’s family,” Fadnavis said while talking to reporters.
(with input from Yogesh Joshi)
