Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal said Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar should lead the NCP, saying the party needs stability after Ajit Pawar’s death in a Baramati plane crash earlier this year
Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal. File Pic
Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday said that Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar should assume charge as the party president, reported news agency PTI.
The NCP chief’s post has remained vacant since Ajit Pawar was killed in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28.
Bhujbal, the state's food and civil supplies minister, told reporters here that he would meet her when she comes to Mumbai and urge her to accept the request.
Asserting that all decisions have been taken after consulting Sunetra Pawar, Bhujbal said even her election as NCP legislature party leader was a collective decision and not of any particular leader or leaders.
Ajit Pawar's son Parth Pawar likely to be nominated to Rajya Sabha
Parth Pawar is likely to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha in place of his mother Sunetra Pawar, who took oath last week as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. However, with Parth’s name linked to the controversial Pune land deal, there is a possibility that the party may instead consider other son Jay Pawar for a role in Delhi politics.
After the death of Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is going through major changes. Sunetra, a Rajya Sabha member, resigned from Parliament after taking the oath as deputy chief minister, stepping into the role previously held by her husband, Ajit.
According to NCP leaders, there is a strong view within the party that Parth should be sent to Delhi politics by nominating him to the Rajya Sabha seat vacated after his mother’s resignation. “The party will soon meet and formally approve Parth’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha,” a senior party functionary said on condition of anonymity.
However, due to the controversial Pune land deal linked to Parth, the party is also considering the option of nominating Jay, Parth’s younger brother. According to sources in the NCP camp, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has already said that he would extend all possible support to the party’s decision.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sunetra contested from Baramati but lost to Supriya Sule, the daughter of NCP founder Sharad Pawar and Ajit’s cousin. That year, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP failed to win any Lok Sabha seats except Raigad, where party state president Sunil Tatkare emerged victorious. After his wife’s defeat, Ajit, in 2024, got Sunetra nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the NCP.
(With PTI inputs)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
