Will Sunetra Pawar Step Up as NCP Chief? Key Leaders Meet Ajit Pawar's Wife After Maharashtra Deputy CM's Tragic Death

Following the tragic death of Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister and leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction aligned with the ruling Mahayuti alliance (alongside BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena), in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28, 2026, the party faces a leadership vacuum.

Speculation is rife about his successor as NCP national president. Sources said that senior leaders, including Chhagan Bhujbal and Praful Patel, have met with Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra Pawar (a current Rajya Sabha MP), and are reportedly backing her to take over as the national president of the NCP (Ajit Pawar's faction).

In fact, NCP working president Praful Patel, NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule, and Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's family - wife Sunetra Pawar and son Parth Pawar had left for Baramati, Maharashtra from Delhi following reports of the Maharashtra Deputy Prime Minister's death in a plane crash in Baramati.

Sunetra Pawar is also expected to contest the by-election for the Baramati Assembly seat vacated by her late husband, according to multiple reports.

Adding to the momentum, senior NCP leader and Maharashtra FDA Minister Narhari Zirwal, a close confidant of Ajit Pawar, stated after the funeral in Baramati that the public strongly desires "vahini" (sister-in-law, referring to Sunetra Pawar) to be inducted into the state ministry.

"We will talk to the leadership about it and take a decision,'' Zirwal told a news channel.

On the party's future, Zirwal remarked that the two NCP factions (Ajit Pawar's group and Sharad Pawar's NCP-SP) are effectively united, as there's "no point in remaining scattered," amid earlier buzz about a possible full merger.

''The two factions are already together. Everyone has realised that there is no point in remaining scattered and have to be together,'' Zirwal said.

Some reports suggest the NCP is preparing to propose Sunetra Pawar for the Deputy Chief Minister post to fill the vacancy, with leaders potentially discussing this with Devendra Fadnavis (a key Mahayuti figure).

While Sunetra Pawar is stepping into the spotlight as a potential coordinator and symbolic family figurehead (alongside figures like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare), analysts note she lacks extensive administrative experience compared to her late husband. The situation remains fluid, with the party navigating this crisis in the wake of Ajit Pawar's sudden demise.

About Ajit Pawar's Death in Plane Crash

Ajit Pawar, 66, died on Wednesday morning after the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district. The plane crash-landed near the runway threshold, killing all five people on board the chartered plane. Among the deceased were his personal security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.

The crash occurred around 8.48 am. Pawar was on his way to Baramati from Mumbai to campaign for the Zilla Panchayat elections.
Earlier today, the last rites of Ajit Pawar were held with full state honours at the Vidya Pratishthan ground in Baramati, where his sons lit the funeral pyre and performed the final rituals.

Several prominent leaders and dignitaries, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar, and actor Riteish Deshmukh, attended the funeral and paid their last respects.

Pawar's sons, Parth and Jay, performed the last rites of their father. Sunetra Pawar, wife of Ajit Pawar and Rajya Sabha MP, also paid her last respects to her husband.

A large number of people also gathered at the Vidya Pratishthan ground to bid a final farewell to the Nationalist Congress Party leader, reflecting the widespread public mourning over his demise.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu informed Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has initiated a formal investigation into the recent aircraft accident that claimed the lives of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and four others.

Replying to a letter written by Chief Minister Fadnavis, the Union Minister said the aircraft's black box has been taken into custody, and the investigation has commenced in accordance with the Aircraft Accident and Incident Rules. He assured that the probe would be conducted transparently and time-boundly. 

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