Maharashtra minister and senior party leader Chhagan Bhujbal said here on Friday that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will elect late Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar as the legislature party leader. Speaking to reporters, Bhujbal said, “It was decided among us that we will name Sunetra Pawar as the legislature party leader.”
He said the decision on the Deputy Chief Minister’s post would probably be taken later today after NCP leaders met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding the post of Deputy Chief Minister that fell vacant after the demise of NCP chief Ajit Pawar.
He said, “We had gone to meet the Chief Minister. Praful Bhai (Praful Patel), I (Sunil Tatkare) and Munde (Dhananjay Munde). We also met him (Fadnavis) last night. We asked him whether all the other programs, starting from the swearing-in ceremony, could be held tomorrow only. The Chief Minister said he had no objection to it.”
He further said, “On someone’s death, sometimes people mourn for three days, sometimes ten days, and during that time people do not go out, or something like that, I don’t know exactly. Tatkare and Praful Bhai themselves are investigating the matter. Probably the verdict will come in an hour or two.”
Former Maharashtra Home Minister and senior NCP leader Anil Deshmukh also said that it would be a matter of great happiness if Sunetra Pawar becomes the Deputy Chief Minister. He said, “If Sunetra Bhabhi is made the Deputy Chief Minister, it will be a matter of great happiness… The family will sit together after three-four days and then take a decision.”
He also said that NCP chief Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash on Wednesday, wanted to re-merge with Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction. He said, “It was the heartfelt desire of late Ajit Dada Pawar that both the parties (Sharad Pawar faction and NCP) should come together. For this, he had held several meetings with Jayant Patil and others. Ajit Dada wanted the two parties to unite as soon as possible and a decision in this regard has already been taken.” He said the decision to merge the two parties had been finalized even before the tragic incident.
Anil Deshmukh said, “Only the announcement was left. Earlier it was decided that after the municipal elections, the announcement would be made by January 20 and both the parties would unite. However, due to the sudden Zilla Parishad elections, this decision was postponed and it was expected that this announcement would be made around February 10. But then this tragic accident happened. Now all the brothers and sisters of Sharad Pawar, Sunetra Bhabhi, Parth Pawar, Jai Pawar and Ajit Dada will sit together and take the decision.”
Ajit Pawar, 66, died when his plane crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district on Wednesday morning. The plane crashed on the edge of the runway, killing all five people on board the chartered plane. The dead included their personal security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.
