In a historic move for Maharashtra politics, Sunetra Pawar, the wife of the late Ajit Pawar, was unanimously elected as the National President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The decision came at the party's national executive meeting, held on Thursday, where senior NCP leader Praful Patel delivered an emotional speech and formally proposed her name. The proposal was met with overwhelming support from all leaders and delegates present at the convention, officially marking Sunetra Pawar as the new face of the NCP.
Sunetra Pawar succeeds her late husband, Ajit Pawar, who tragically passed away in a plane crash. Ajit Pawar had been the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra multiple times and was long seen as the successor to his uncle, NCP founder Sharad Pawar. His sudden death left a leadership void that Sunetra Pawar has stepped into, continuing the legacy of the Pawar family in Maharashtra’s political landscape.
In addition to her new role as NCP president, Sunetra Pawar is set to contest the Baramati bye-election, a seat that was long held by her late husband. Baramati had been a stronghold for Ajit Pawar, who represented the constituency for eight terms. Sunetra’s candidacy in the bye-election is seen as a crucial step for the NCP to maintain its influence in the region.
On January 31, Sunetra Pawar made history as Maharashtra's first woman deputy chief minister, taking office after being unanimously elected as the leader of the NCP Legislative Party. Her leadership has already proven successful, as the NCP performed strongly in the recent local elections, securing victories in the Pune Zilla Parishad and improving its standing in Kolhapur and several panchayat samitis.
As the NCP begins this new chapter under Sunetra Pawar’s leadership, all eyes will be on the upcoming bye-election in Baramati, which could be a defining moment for her political journey. Sunetra Pawar’s rise marks a pivotal moment in Maharashtra’s political landscape, as she carries forward the legacy of her late husband while carving her own path in the state’s leadership.
