MUMBAI: After assuming the role of Maharashtra’s deputy CM, Sunetra Pawar is set to become NCP national chief, replacing husband Ajit Pawar who was killed in an air crash last week. Amid speculation about whether he would take up the role, party working president Praful Patel ruled himself out of the race and said the party wanted her to accept the post. Meanwhile, Maharashtra govt appointed her guardian minister for Pune and Beed, posts earlier held by Ajit.“We would all like her to accept the post of party chief and support her in taking the party forward. This would be the real homage to Ajit Pawar,” Patel said, adding, “We will have to call a party meeting and take a decision in keeping with the sentiments of the party and public. I am not in the race.” He said the issue of a merger between NCP and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) was not before them at this point. “We are focusing on settling party affairs,” Patel said. Dismissing talk of a merger, he said Ajit had clarified at least twice to TV channels that there was no such proposal and the coordination was only for local body polls. “We allied with BJP in Ahilyanagar and Shiv Sena in Nasik too,” he said. “He (Ajit) did say some people expressed the sentiment that the parties should work together, but there was no serious discussion,” Patel said. He dismissed videos of a meeting between NCP and NCP (SP) netas, saying, “We do meet… We were once part of the same family.”(With inputs from Anurag Bende in Pune)