No idea about Sunetra Pawar being sworn in as Maharashtra deputy CM, says Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) supremo Sharad Pawar on Saturday (January 31, 2026) said he had ‘no idea about Sunetra Pawar being sworn in as Maharashtra deputy CM’.

Ms. Pawar, wife of deceased NCP supremo Ajit Pawar is likely to take oath as the first woman deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Saturday (January 31, 2026).

Mr. Pawar, while addressing reporters in Baramati, added that, “Sunetra Pawar’s party (NCP) must have decided it.”

“We don’t know about the swearing-in. We got to know about it through the news. I have no idea about the swearing-in,” he said, when asked if anyone from the Pawar family would be attending the ceremony.

He said the NCP must have made the decision.

“Some people like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare took the initiative. These people might have decided something,” he said.

The veteran leader further claimed that it was his late nephew Ajit Pawar’s wish to unite both factions, and that they were optimistic about it.

“Now we feel his wish should be fulfilled. Ajit Pawar, Shashikant Shinde and Jayant Patil had initiated the talks about the merger of the two factions. Even the merger date had been fixed — it was scheduled on the 12th (February). Unfortunately, Ajit left us before that,” he said.

Ms. Pawar reached Devgiri, the official residence of her late husband in south Mumbai, in the wee hours of Saturday, accompanied by son Parth.

The 62-year-old leader, who is not a member of either house of the Maharashtra legislature, will be elected as leader of the legislature wing of the Nationalist Congress Party at a meeting in Mumbai on Saturday (January 31, 2026) afternoon, and is all set to take oath as Maharashtra’s first woman deputy CM.

(With inputs from PTI)