The wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar , Sunetra Pawar, is set to assume his political role after his tragic death in a plane crash early Wednesday morning. The decision was finalized by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) without consulting the Pawar family, the NCP (SP) chief and his uncle, Sharad Pawar, said. His comments stress the clear separation between family ties and politics. Ajit Pawar split the NCP with his uncle's camp to establish his own political bloc, and in July 2023 the NCP split into two factions.

Sharad Pawar also distanced himself from the latest developments and claimed to have learned of the proposed oath-taking ceremony planned for Saturday evening through media reports. “We have no information about the swearing-in. We came to know about it from the news. I have no idea about it,” Sharad Pawar said in a press conference in Baramati, when asked if any family members might attend the ceremony.

An Incomplete Reunion

Ajit Pawar had reportedly intended to reunite the two NCP factions for his uncle Sharad Pawar’s birthday on December 12, but the plan did not materialise, NCP (SP) leader Ankush Kakade said on Friday. Ajit Pawar had also enlisted Vitthal Sheth Maniar and Srinivas Patil—both close to Sharad Pawar—to assist reconciliation talks, Kakade said at a news conference.

“You share a good rapport with Saheb (Sharad Pawar). Please speak to him and explore the possibility of bringing both NCP factions together,” Kakade recalled Ajit Pawar saying.

According to Kakade, Ajit Pawar believed the merger would happen on December 12, but when it didn’t, he felt it could be completed after the elections. “Unfortunately, he could not fulfil that wish,” Kakade added.

Ajit Pawar’s Death in Plane Crash

Ajit Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati when a Learjet 45 aircraft, owned and operated by VSR Ventures, crashed during a second landing attempt. Along with Pawar, four others were on board—pilot Sumit Kapur, co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak, his personal security officer Vidip Jadhav, and flight attendant Pinky Mali. All five lost their lives in the tragic accident.