Sipu Jha
PUNE: Senior NCP functionaries moved swiftly to fill a political vacuum left by Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar‘s death in a plane crash, urging his wife and Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar to return to state politics and take charge of the party – possibly as deputy CM.Party seniors met Sunetra, 62, at her residence Thursday, offering condolences and pressing her to join the Mahayuti govt and lead NCP’s Ajit Pawar faction. Those present included working president Praful Patel, state chief Sunil Tatkare, and cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal, sources said.Cabinet minister and Ajit Pawar confidant Narhari Zirwal publicly backed the move. “All supporters I have spoken to want Sunetra vahini (sister-in-law) in the state cabinet. I support this view,” Zirwal said in Baramati, adding that he would raise the issue with senior party members.Party functionaries said a meeting is expected in Mumbai soon to choose the NCP legislature party leader. “The immediate priority is to stabilise,” a senior member said.At the grassroots, particularly in Baramati, party office bearers want either of Ajit’s sons – Parth or Jay – to contest the Baramati bypolls triggered by his death. ‘Sunetra will keep NCP flocks united if merger of parties fails’NCP’s identity is inseparable from the Pawar family,” a party functionary said. “So far, the party’s functioning kept revolving around Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule. Now with the untimely death of Ajit, many party seniors as well as grassroots workers feel that only his wife Sunetra can take his position.”Other senior functionaries remain guarded, watching whether Ajit Pawar’s uncle Sharad and cousin Supriya move towards a reunion of the rival NCP factions. A merger could redraw Maharashtra’s political map, making many NCP seniors in the state cabinet reluctant to declare positions prematurely.Still, insiders said pressure on Sunetra to return to state politics is unlikely to ease, regardless of whether talks progress. Ajit Pawar had earlier indicated plans to step aside in Baramati and groom Jay Pawar for a larger role. Jay held meetings with local units during the 2024 polls, while elder son Parth contested — and lost — the 2019 Lok Sabha race from Maval.“Ajitdada was preparing Jay for a bigger role,” an observer said. “After his death, the demand is growing for Jay to get into politics. Though NCP seniors are not averse to his entry, they felt that his mother, who comes from a political family, will be able to keep the NCP flock together, if a merger does not work out.”Sunetra lost to Supriya in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Baramati. Party functionaries now believe any member of Ajit Pawar’s family contesting from Baramati would likely face no serious challenge from rival parties.
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