Mumbai, Jan 31 (IANS) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister late Ajit Pawar’s wife and Rajya Sabha member Sunetra Pawar was unanimously elected on Saturday as the NCP Legislature Party leader. Her name was proposed by party veteran Chhagan Bhujbal and seconded by Dilip Patil and a host of other legislators.

The meeting was convened on Saturday, after Sunetra Pawar, who has yet to recover from the deep shock following the sudden and untimely demise of her husband in a plane crash on Wednesday in Baramati, gave her consent to take the responsibility as the Legislature Party leader.

She is now set to become the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of the state as she will take oath in the evening at Lok Bhavan.

State NCP chief Sunil Tatkare will send a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis conveying the unanimous election of Sunetra Pawar as the Legislature Party leader.

Thereafter, the Chief Minister will communicate to the state Governor about Sunetra Pawar’s induction in the Council of Ministers. Sunetra Pawar will resign from the Rajya Sabha as she is set to get elected from the Baramati Assembly seat in due course of time.

Tatkare on Friday had dashed off a letter to all party legislators, including 40 from the state Assembly and nine from the state council, to remain present at the legislative party meeting to be held at Vidhan Bhavan.

Earlier on Friday morning, a high level NCP delegation met Devendra Fadnavis and discussed a whole range of issues including the appointment of the Legislative Party leader and Deputy Chief Minister.

The delegation included party Working President Praful Patel, state unit chief Sunil Tatkare, ministers Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif and former minister Dhananjay Munde. This development took place after a significant leadership vacuum has emerged within both the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Mahayuti government.

Meanwhile, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar clarified that he was not consulted regarding Sunetra Pawar’s elevation as the Maharashtra Dy CM. “I have had no discussion with Sunetra Pawar regarding this. I only learnt about the swearing-in ceremony through the morning news,” he stated at a press conference on Saturday morning.

On the merger between the two NCP factions, he confirmed that positive talks regarding reunification took place between Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil. He made a sensational claim that the merger was almost finalised and Ajit Pawar was set to formally announce it on February 12.

After Sharad Pawar stated that he was not in the know about Sunetra Pawar’s election as the Legislature Party leader and elevation as Dy CM, Ajit Pawar’s son Parth Pawar along with NCP(SP) legislator Rohit Pawar met Pawar senior and briefed him about these developments.

Sharad Pawar clarified that while the talks were happening, he was not directly involved in the negotiations; they were led by Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil.

“It was Ajit Dada’s wish that both NCPs should come together, and it was our wish as well,” he stated. He noted that the sudden demise of Ajit Pawar has now caused a break in these merger discussions.

The future course of action will now depend on the leaders of both sides. Sharad Pawar emphasised that the road map was clear saying that for four months, discussions were held to reunite the party. However, with the leader who initiated these talks no longer present, the process faces a significant challenge.

–IANS

sj/rad