Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, and Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday held talks with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on which NCP leader will be given responsibility for the three ministries previously held by Ajit Pawar, including the Finance Ministry, and also the Deputy Chief Minister position. NCP leaders had also met with the Chief Minister late last night. In the meantime, Maharashtra CID begins probe into Baramati plane crash that killed Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
There is no question of opposing Sunetra Pawar's name: Praful Patel
After NCP leaders met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his residence, Praful Patel said, "Today is the third day, and we are giving him time to complete the formalities of the third day. We are partners in the Mahayuti alliance, and our leader Ajit Pawar was the Deputy Chief Minister. We need to fill that position by taking an appropriate decision. We came here to discuss this. We want to complete the process as soon as possible. We will have to talk to the family once. All the leaders are shocked. We are going to take an appropriate decision in accordance with that sentiment... There is no question of opposing Sunetra Pawar's name. It would be better if we meet her and discuss this with her."
A day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash, voices emerged within his party NCP on Thursday for a state cabinet berth for his wife Sunetra, while rival factions spoke of reconciliation and taking forward merger talks.
Sunetra Pawar should step forward and lead the outfit
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders also suggested that Sunetra Pawar should step forward and lead the outfit, which is a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti alliance led by the BJP.
Senior NCP leader and FDA Minister Narhari Zirwal said it is people's wish that late Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra, a Rajya Sabha member, be inducted into the state ministry.
Asked about the NCP's future after the untimely death of Ajit Pawar, who was also the party president, Zirwal told reporters that people want "vahini" (sister-in-law, referring to Sunetra Pawar) to be made a cabinet member.
"We will talk to our leadership about it (inducting Sunetra in cabinet) and take a decision,'' Zirwal, who was a close confidant of Ajit Pawar, said after the late politician's funeral in his hometown Baramati in Pune district.
Two factions are together for local body polls
To a question on the possible merger of the rival groups, ruling ally NCP and Opposition NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), he noted, ''The Everyone has realised that there was no point in remaining scattered and we have to be together.'' NCP leader and former minister Nawab Malik emphasised that final decision on the merger was to be taken by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar, who heads the NCP (SP).
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