Following deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s death in an air crash on January 28, his wife Sunetra Pawar replaced him in the state cabinet and took oath on January 31
Maharashtra Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar. File Pic
Fresh cracks have surfaced within the ruling Mahayuti alliance after at least three Shiv Sena ministers questioning Sunetra Pawar’s swearing-in as Maharashtra deputy chief minister days after Ajit Pawar’s death.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis disapproved of the remarks made by his cabinet colleagues, saying such “low-level politics must stop.”
Following deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s death in an air crash on January 28, his wife Sunetra Pawar replaced him in the state cabinet and took oath on January 31.
Speaking in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Social Justice Minister and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat on Friday said that taking oath immediately after the tragic incident was not acceptable to the common people.
Uday Samant questions timing of Sunetra Pawar’s oath-taking
Industries Minister Uday Samant said elsewhere that nobody should feel sad about Sunetra Pawar becoming deputy chief minister, “but there is suspicion over why the oath-taking happened so soon.”
“Did someone orchestrate it?” Samant asked.
Responding to the controversy, Chief Minister Fadnavis said it was “unnecessary and wrong.”
“Everybody is trying to do their own politics in this. Such low-level politics must stop,” Fadnavis told reporters.
On Thursday, another Shiv Sena leader and former minister Ramdas Kadam targeted state NCP president Sunil Tatkare, alleging that he worked against the interests of those who had helped him grow in his career.
“After Dada’s (Ajit Pawar’s) death, Tatkare indulged in dirty politics to checkmate Sharad Pawar, which is shameful. Making Sunetra Pawar take oath just after Dada’s death is not the culture of Maharashtra. Maharashtra will never forgive Sunil Tatkare,” Kadam said.
Chhagan Bhujbal backs deputy CM Sunetra Pawar as NCP president
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.
(With PTI input)
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