'I Have No Information': Sharad Pawar Breaks Silence On Sunetra Pawar’s Elevation As Deputy CM After Nephew Ajit's Demise

New Delhi: Amid a flurry of political conjecture following Ajit Pawar's demise in a tragic plane crash on Wednesday in Pune's Baramati, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief and Ajit Pawar's uncle, Sharad Pawar on Saturday (January 31, 2026) said that he has no information about NCP MP Sunetra Pawar's name being pitched for the post of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister.

Speaking to 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.

‘Her party must have decided’

Pawar stated, "I have no information about it. 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. I had no discussion on this. I have no information about this...I am not even aware if it is happening."

The statement comes just hours before a scheduled 2:00 PM meeting at Vidhan Bhavan today, where the Ajit Pawar-led faction is expected to formally elect Sunetra Pawar to succeed her late husband.

Sunetra Pawar As Dy CM

It must be noted that after Ajit Pawar's demise, his wife Sunetra Pawar is speculated to take up the vacant Deputy CM post. Maharashtra Minister and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said that the party has pitched Sunetra Pawar's name and asked CM Devendra Fadnavis if the swearing-in ceremony can take place today.

'Decisions being taken in haste'?

When asked about 'decisions being taken in haste' by Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar remarked, "What I know is that a process had begun for our party (NCP-SCP) and Ajit Pawar’s party (NCP) to work together, and a decision on this was to be taken soon. However, this unfortunate accident (Ajit Pawar's death) has occurred."

“Family stands united…”

On being asked if he, as a member of the family, was taken into confidence regarding Sunetra Pawar as Deputy CM, NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar says, “Family stands united if an issue occurs in the family. There are no issues in the family.” When asked about an NCP meeting scheduled today in Mumbai, the NCP-SCP patriarch said, "It's their internal party matter."

Sharad on Nephew Ajit

Remembering Ajit Pawar, NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar says, "Ajit Pawar was a capable and committed leader who truly worked for the people. He would thoroughly understand public issues and always worked to ensure that people received justice...The people of Baramati have always stood by him, and he never fell short when it came to his work and responsibilities. His passing away has deeply shocked all of us. The situation that has arisen after his demise calls upon us to move forward with strength. We must work to reduce the suffering of the people and continue the approach and values with which he served. I firmly believe that the new generation of his family will certainly carry forward his legacy and way of working."  

On Joining NDA

When asked if he would consider joining the NDA following a potential merger of the two NCP factions, Sharad Pawar maintained a strategically vague stance, stating "This is all going on on your side (media), there is nothing like that here."

Sources close to the family suggest that while both factions stood together during the funeral in Baramati on Thursday, the political cooperation ended there. No member of Sharad Pawar’s family accompanied Sunetra when she left for Mumbai late Friday night.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) has expressed subtle disapproval of the haste. Spokesperson Vikas Lavande criticized the rival camp for focusing on "power dynamics" and "cabinet portfolios" while the family was still collecting Ajit Pawar's ashes.

What This Means for the ‘Merger’

While the Ajit Pawar-led faction is moving quickly to appoint Sunetra Pawar, the Sharad Pawar camp is maintaining a clear distance. 

NCP high-level meeting

Meanwhile, all elected representatives of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), including members of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, will convene at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai. This high-level meeting was formally called by State President Sunil Tatkare through a notice issued on Friday, requiring the mandatory attendance of all legislators. The gathering occurs amid intense political activity following the recent death of Ajit Pawar, with Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar emerging as the frontrunner to be elected as the new legislature party leader.

Sunetra Pawar arrived in Mumbai early Saturday morning and is currently stationed at Devgiri Bungalow, the official residence previously held by her late husband. Her presence in the capital reinforces widespread speculation that she will be sworn in as Maharashtra's first female Deputy Chief Minister as early as 5:00 PM today. While the meeting aims to finalize the party's leadership structure and address rumors of a potential merger between the two NCP factions, Sharad Pawar has maintained a distance from these specific proceedings, stating he was not consulted on the timing or the choice of successor.