Pawar vs Pawar: Why Sunetra Pawar’s rushed oath as Deputy CM is about blocking Sharad Pawar and securing NCP control. Photos: ANI.
Just days after the tragic death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, political fault lines within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have resurfaced sharply. The decision to swear in Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar as the new Deputy Chief Minister has triggered fresh tensions, both within the party and the Pawar family.
According to reports, the haste surrounding Sunetra Pawar’s elevation is driven by the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction’s desire to retain control of the party and government. Any delay, reports and observers suggest, could have opened the door for Sharad Pawar to reassert influence, potentially sparking a leadership tussle.
Ajit Pawar, 66, popularly known as ‘Dada’, died on Wednesday, January 28, when the VT-SSK Learjet 45 he was travelling in crashed while landing at Baramati airport. Four others on board, his personal security officer Vidhit Jadhav, pilot Sumit Kapur, first officer Shambhavi Pathak, and cabin crew member Pinky Mali, also lost their lives.
He was cremated with full state honours at the Vidya Pratishthan College grounds in Baramati on Thursday, leaving behind not only a grieving family but also a significant leadership vacuum in Maharashtra’s political landscape.
Sunetra Pawar, a Rajya Sabha member and Ajit Pawar’s wife, is expected to be sworn in as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister on Saturday. If the oath ceremony goes ahead as planned, she will become the state’s first woman Deputy CM.
She is not currently a member of either House of the Maharashtra legislature but is set to be elected leader of the NCP legislature wing at a meeting in Mumbai on Saturday, following which she is likely to take oath.
Sunetra Pawar reached her late husband’s official residence in south Mumbai in the early hours of the day, accompanied by her son Parth.
The move, however, has drawn sharp reactions from NCP founder and Ajit Pawar’s uncle, Sharad Pawar, who said he was not informed about Sunetra Pawar’s impending swearing-in.
“There is no information about Sunetra Pawar taking oath today as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra; her party itself would have decided this. Discussions between Jayant Patil and Ajit Pawar regarding the merger of both NCP factions have been going on for the past four months. The discussions were progressing in a positive direction, and a public announcement was also to be made on the 12th,” Sharad Pawar said.
He reiterated that neither he nor the leadership of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction was consulted.
“I have no information about it. Her party must have decided. What I saw in the newspaper today, some names like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatakare, who have taken the initiative to make some decisions. I had no discussion on this. I have no information about this. I am not even aware if it is happening,” he said.
The NCP split in July 2023 when Ajit Pawar led over 40 of the party’s 54 MLAs to join the BJP-led Mahayuti government. Following the split, Sharad Pawar named his faction the Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar.
Ajit Pawar went on to lead the officially recognised NCP faction aligned with the BJP, while his uncle continued to command influence within the breakaway group.
The Pawar family has shaped Maharashtra politics for decades. Sharad Pawar, the NCP’s founder, remains one of India’s most seasoned political leaders. Ajit Pawar carved an independent political trajectory, serving multiple terms as Deputy Chief Minister under different governments before parting ways with his uncle’s faction.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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