Political Uncertainty in Maharashtra Following Ajit Pawar's Tragic Death
In the wake of the sudden and tragic passing of Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, discussions are intensifying regarding the potential appointment of his wife, Sunetra Pawar, as the new Deputy Chief Minister. Sharad Pawar, Ajit’s uncle and the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has shared his initial thoughts on the situation. He expressed that he was unaware of Sunetra Pawar's impending swearing-in as Deputy Chief Minister following her husband's death in a plane crash on Wednesday.
Sharad Pawar stated, "I had no prior knowledge of this. The party must have made a decision... I saw in the newspaper today that names like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare have taken the initiative for some decisions. I have not discussed this matter. I am not informed about it... I do not even know if this is happening or not."
The NCP leadership and Sharad Pawar's family were reportedly not informed about Sunetra Pawar's decision to join the BJP-led government. For the past four months, discussions had been ongoing regarding the merger of the two factions of the NCP led by Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil, but Sharad Pawar indicated that this process has been halted following his nephew's death.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Friday that the Mahayuti coalition would support the NCP's decision regarding the vacant Deputy Chief Minister position. Fadnavis remarked to reporters, "This decision will be made by the NCP. Whatever decision they take, we will support it. We stand with Ajit Pawar's family and the NCP."
Ajit Pawar, aged 66, tragically lost his life when the VT-SSK Learjet 45 he was traveling in crashed while attempting to land at Baramati Airport. Four other individuals aboard the aircraft, including his personal security officer Vidit Jadhav, pilot Sumit Kapoor, first officer Shambhavi Pathak, and cabin crew member Pinky Mali, also perished in the incident.
Sunetra Pawar, who is not a member of either house of the Maharashtra Legislature, is expected to be elected as the leader of the NCP legislative party during a meeting in Mumbai on Saturday. Following this, she is likely to take the oath as Deputy Chief Minister. She arrived early in South Mumbai at her late husband's official residence with their son, Parth.
Ajit Pawar's funeral was conducted with full state honors on Thursday at the Vidya Pratishthan ground in Baramati. His sons performed the last rites and lit the funeral pyre.
Prominent leaders in attendance included Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, and actor Riteish Deshmukh.
Political circles are abuzz with speculation that the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) is positioning Sunetra Pawar to maintain its legacy and political influence. Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar's apparent "unawareness" suggests that there has been no formal discussion regarding this appointment between the ruling and opposition parties.
It will become clearer after the NCP legislative party meeting scheduled for this afternoon when Sunetra Pawar will be sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister.