Sunetra Pawar to be the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra

Sunetra Pawar, wife of deceased NCP leader Ajit Pawar, is likely to become the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The Nationalist Congress Party is going to hold its Legislature Party meeting at 2 p.m. on Saturday (January 31, 2026). The party will choose its Legislature Party leader in that meeting. A small swearing-in ceremony is likely to happen thereafter, top sources from NCP indicated to The Hindu on Friday (January 30, 2026).

“There is no question of any other name. We are all unanimous that Sunetra Pawar will have to keep aside her grief and accept the position of Legislature Party. We will inform the Chief Minister thereafter. And the swearing-in ceremony for the position of the Deputy Chief Minister will take place,” Chhagan Bhujbal, senior NCP leader and Cabinet Minister told The Hindu in Mumbai.

NCP state president Sunil Tatkare said, “We have called a meeting of our legislature party leaders tomorrow at 2 p.m. We expect that she will remain present. We are going to speak with Sunetra vahini tonight. She has been busy with the religious rituals so far.” The decision on the national president is not the priority at present, a leader said.

When asked about it, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the government will support the decision of the NCP. “They held a meeting with me twice. The final decision will be taken by their party. We will support them in whatever decision they take.” NCP leaders Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his official bungalow earlier in the day on Friday (January 30, 2026). The meeting lasted an hour. “We want to take the decision of appointing a Legislature Party leader soon. There is no difference in the opinion of the party and the public sentiment about who our next leader should be. We want to take this decision at the earliest. Please give us some time to talk with Sunetra Pawar,” Praful Patel said.

Ajit Pawar’s elder son Parth Pawar is likely to be the Rajya Sabha MP, replacing his mother Sunetra Pawar.

Political developments speeded up in Maharashtra on Friday, three days after the sudden and tragic demise of NCP supremo and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in an air crash at Baramati. His wife Sunetra Pawar is currently the party’s sitting Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha.

Differences in NCP

Meanwhile, a split was seen in the NCP over the speculations of the reunification of NCP and NCP SP. Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Narhari Zhirwal sought that the two NCPs should reunite immediately. Several NCP SP leaders expressed a similar opinion. Ankush Kakde, senior NCP SP leader, said in Pune, “This was Ajit Dada’s last wish. Whenever he would meet me, he would say that he was restless that Saaheb had to go through this pain at this age. He wanted both the parties to reunite.” A senior NCP leader close to the Pawar family in Baramati also said that the parties will reunite soon.

But when asked about it, Chhagan Bhujbal said he was not aware of any such proposal or sentiments. “Right now, our priority is to appoint a Legislature Party leader. That is what we are going to do as a party,” he said. NCP sources hinted that the BJP would have to be consulted before any discussion of a likely reunification. Sources close to the senior leaders in the party denied any possibility of reunification. “There was a reason for which Ajit Pawar had walked out of Sharad Pawar’s NCP. Those who walked out with Ajit Pawar on July 2, 2023, are our family now. That family will take the decision. There is no question of the reunification of both the parties,” a senior leader said on condition of anonymity.