Mumbai (Maharashtra)

Nationalist Congress Party MP Sunetra Pawar and the widow of Ajit Pawar is set to take oath as the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister on Saturday, party spokesperson Rupali Patil Thombare said.

Ajit Pawar, 66, died in a plane crash on January 28, after which the Deputy CM post fell vacant.

Speaking to ANI, Rupali Patil Thombare said party leaders had urged Sunetra Pawar to decide on the Deputy CM post and emphasised the importance of timing in politics.

Thombare said, "Ajit dada's death was very shocking. He is not with us anymore. Sunetra Vahini (Sunetra Pawar) is grieving much more than all of us. She lost her husband all of a sudden. This is the fourth day since his death. We, the workers, have urged Vahini to forget her pain, and adopt Ajit Dada's dreams and work style. For this, she has made a decision for today; she had to."

"Timing is very important in politics. People will talk. Those who are speaking for him today used to comment on him when he was alive. Vahini is going to take oath as the Deputy CM today," the NCP Spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, all NCP representatives in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council will hold a meeting in Mumbai this afternoon.

This comes after Maharashtra Minister and senior party leader Chhagan Bhujbal said that the party has decided to give Sunetra Pawar's name for the as the legislative party leader.

Bhujbal told reporters, "It was decided among us that we will give Sunetra Pawar's name as legislative party leader."

"We went to meet the CM. Praful Bhai (Praful Patel), Tatkare (Sunil Tatkare) I, and Munde (Dhananjay Munde). We also met him (Fadnavis) last night. We asked if everything could be done tomorrow, from the swearing-in ceremony to everything else. The Chief Minister said he had no problem with it," he added.

The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief and Ajit Pawar's uncle, Sharad Pawar, said that he has no information about NCP MP Sunetra Pawar's name being pitched for the post of Maharashtra Deputy CM.

Addressing reporters in Baramati, Sharad Pawar said that NCP Working President Praful Patel and MP Sunil Tatkare took the initiative to decide on the posts that fell vacant after Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash.

He said, "I have no information about it (Sunetra Pawar's name for the Deputy CM post). Her party must have decided. What I saw in the newspaper today: some names like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatakare who have taken the initiative to make some decisions."

When asked about the haste to make political decisions immediately after Ajit Pawar's death, Sharad Pawar hinted that the decisions were being made by leaders in the Mahayuti government in Mumbai.

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"If there is a problem in the family, the family stands together. There are no issues in the family... All these discussions are not taking place here; they are happening in Mumbai. Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, and other senior leaders are having these discussions. Whatever is being seen appears to be decisions taken by them. I will not comment on this," he said.

On the NCP meeting scheduled today in Mumbai, the NCP-SCP patriarch said, "It's their internal party matter."