Sunetra Pawar set to take oath as Maharashtra deputy CM today

Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar is likely to be sworn-in as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister on Saturday, replacing her late husband Ajit Pawar in the cabinet, said Nationalist Congress Party sources on Friday, signalling the party's continuation in ruling Mahayuti and delaying merger talks.

She would be the first woman to hold the post of Deputy CM in the state, where the position was first created in 1978 when the coalition government era began in Maharashtra.

Following the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in an air crash in Baramati on Wednesday, a section of NCP leaders had demanded that she be given the post held by her late husband in the Devendra Fadnavis-led cabinet.

Her consent to accept the decision to name her as her husband's successor has been communicated to party leaders, said the sources.

"Tomorrow (Saturday), a parliamentary board meeting of the party will take place in Mumbai, where Sunetra Pawar will be elected as the leader of the NCP legislature party," said a source.

"It is likely that she will be sworn-in as Deputy Chief Minister by tomorrow evening," said the source privy to the developments.

Will support decision taken by NCP, Ajit Pawar's family: Fadnavis

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Bharatiya Janata Party, which heads the ruling alliance Mahayuti, would support any decision taken by the family and party of late Ajit Pawar.

"The NCP will take whatever decision it has to take for the post of deputy chief minister, and the government and the BJP will support the decision. I can only tell you that we are standing behind the family of Ajit Dada and the NCP," the CM added.

Until the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sunetra Pawar had kept a low profile.

In the general elections that year, she stood from Baramati as the candidate of her husband's party, but was defeated by her sister-in-law and incumbent Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar MP Supriya Sule in the prestige battle.

Sunetra Pawar was subsequently elected to the Rajya Sabha.

NCP to hold legislature party meet today

The NCP's legislature wing will hold a meeting in Mumbai on January 31 where she would be named as its leader, state minister and senior party leader Chhagan Bhujbal said earlier in the day in Mumbai.

Fadnavis had conveyed that he had no issue with the swearing-in ceremony taking place on Saturday itself, provided a decision to that effect (Sunetra Pawar elected as new NCP legislature wing leader) was taken by the party, stated Bhujbal.

"Many leaders want her to become the deputy CM," Bhujbal told reporters.

The NCP's tally in the 288-member assembly came down to 40 with Ajit Pawar's death. The late leader was the MLA from the Baramati assembly seat in Pune district.

Meanwhile, with fast-paced political developments in the NCP, the issue of possible merger between the party and its rival faction NCP-SP, a constituent of the Opposition grouping MVA, is likely to be put on the backburner for now.

NCP leaders insisted priority now was to fill the vacant posts of legislature party leader and Deputy Chief Minister, both held by late Ajit Pawar.

The ball is now in the court of the Pawar family and the NCP to take a call on the reunification of the two groups, they said.

"A merger is the need of the hour to build a strong NCP and provide an effective political alternative. Talks had reached an advanced stage, but in Ajit Pawar's absence, the question now is who will take the final decision," a senior NCP (SP) leader said.

Besides the BJP and NCP, the Mahayuti also includes Shiv Sena.

Ajit Pawar's ashes immersed at confluence of two rivers near his hometown

A day after Ajit Pawar's funeral, his ashes were immersed on Friday at the confluence of Nira and Karha rivers near his hometown Baramati in Pune district.

Pawar was cremated on Thursday with full state honours at the Vidya Pratishthan College ground, located around 100 km from Pune city, in the presence of prominent politicians and thousands of people.

The late politician's sons Parth and Jay collected his ashes from the funeral site.

Seated in a small boat, Pawar family members then proceeded to the Nira-Karha confluence near Baramati, where the ashes were immersed by Ajit Pawar's elder son, Parth.

During the immersion ceremony, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar met residents of nearby Wagaj village, who showed him water drawn from the Nira river, highlighting pollution caused by effluents discharged from sugar mills located along the riverbanks.

The senior Pawar had himself raised concerns over pollution in the Nira river due to the discharge of untreated industrial effluents.

Rohit Pawar, NCP-SP MLA and nephew of Ajit Pawar, wrote an emotional social media post on the latter's death.

"I never even dreamt that the very land where Ajit Dada nurtured a garden of development would one day witness the collection of his ashes. Nobody's wish prevails before the cruelty of destiny," he rued.

"While collecting the ashes today, it felt as if you might suddenly rise from them like a phoenix, standing tall with the same commanding presence, and say to us in your familiar voice - 'Hey fools, why are you shedding tears? I was just pulling your leg. I was conducting a mock drill to see how prepared you are to face a crisis. Now get up, get back to work. We have so much to do for Maharashtra, for the common man here. Come on, don't be late...'," Rohit Pawar added.