Sunetra Pawar To Become NCP Chief Days After Taking Over As Maharashtra Deputy CM: Sources

Two days after being sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Sunetra Pawar is set to become the National President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), sources said.

Senior leaders within the party have begun rallying behind her name, with a final call expected after a formal meeting of the party’s national executive in the coming days.

According to sources, the NCP follows a defined organisational process for electing its national president.

As per this procedure, the party’s national executive committee will be convened shortly, where the leadership question is expected to be taken up and a decision formally endorsed.

The development comes in the aftermath of the sudden death of Ajit Pawar, who was serving as the NCP’s national

president as well as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister.

The 66-year-old leader died in a plane crash in his hometown Baramati on January 28, a tragedy that has left a leadership vacuum and triggered intense deliberations over the party’s future course.

The leadership churn has also revived discussions around internal dynamics within the NCP and the possibility of a broader realignment.

In recent weeks, speculation has grown over a potential rapprochement between the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), especially after the two veteran leaders were seen meeting earlier this month.

However, Sharad Pawar recently indicated that the merger talks have hit a pause following Ajit Pawar’s death.

He revealed that discussions between the two factions had progressed significantly and that both sides had even agreed to announce a merger decision on February 12.

“There was unanimity, and the process had already begun. But after this incident, everything has been interrupted,” Sharad Pawar said.

Amid these political developments, Sunetra Pawar’s was unanimously elected leader of the NCP Legislative Party last week and was subsequently sworn in as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister, further strengthening her position within the organisation.