Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar visited Delhi on Wednesday, where she met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The visit comes days after she was sworn in as deputy CM, following the tragic demise of her husband, Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash.
She was accompanied by her sons, Parth and Jay, as well as senior NCP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel.
Key Takeaways from Sunetra Pawar’s Delhi visit
Merger opposition continues: The Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP continues to oppose the merger. Leaders aligned with Ajit Pawar have refused to go along with any consolidation. There was no discussion regarding the merger of NCP and NCP (SP) during the visit, and it was not on the agenda.
Sunetra Pawar’s Rajya Sabha status: Sunetra Pawar has not yet resigned from the Rajya Sabha. She is currently following a “wait and watch” approach regarding her next political move.
Consensus on NCP President: There is unanimity within the party on appointing Sunetra Pawar as the National President.
NCP President selection process: The process to appoint the National President is expected to begin by the end of February. A meeting of the National Executive will be held in Mumbai to formalise the steps.
Parth Pawar’s Rajya Sabha prospects: The party is reportedly positive about sending Parth Pawar to the Rajya Sabha.
Ajit Pawar’s tragic death in Baramati plane crash
A small chartered aircraft carrying Ajit Pawar took off from Mumbai on January 28 at around 8 am. About 45 minutes later, the plane crashed while attempting to land near Baramati airport. Besides Ajit Pawar, four other people were on board and no one survived the accident. A probe is currently underway to ascertain the cause of the mishap.
