Sunetra Pawar takes oath as first woman Maha Dy CM; NCP reunion hits roadblock

Sunetra Pawar, the wife of late Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar, on Saturday took oath as the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, replacing her deceased husband in the key position.

Governor Acharya Devvrat administered the oath of office to Sunetra (62) at a Lok Bhavan ceremony amid chants of "Ajit Dada Amar Rahe”.

Sharad Pawar, chief of the NCP(SP), the other NCP faction, was absent from the swearing-in and was in Baramati all day. He told reporters he had no idea that Sunetra was being sworn in as the Deputy CM, indicating his absence from the decision-making process on the issue.

Sharad also said while talks to reunite the two NCP factions were underway and had to be formally announced on February 12, the process “had hit a roadblock due to Ajit Pawar’s death”. He also said the reunion dialogue was being led by Ajit from the NCP and Jayant Patil from the NCP(SP), and that the two were aware of the nuances.

Asked if the process would still continue, Sharad said, “It was Ajit’s wish to unite the two factions, and now it is our wish that his wish should be fulfilled. We cannot bring Ajit back. We have lost him. Now, we have to see how to face the situation.”

In other important remarks, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, the MP from Mumbai North, also said the merger was unlikely to happen. “I personally do not see that happening," Goyal said, adding the NCP cadres were with Ajit Pawar and now with Sunetra.

After taking oath, Sunetra said she would carry forward the legacy and ideals of Ajit Pawar, and that his teachings on duty, struggle and commitment were her guiding force.

“Ajit Pawar devoted his entire life to farmers, workers, women, youth and the marginalised, and gave society a mantra of purposeful living," Sunetra said, pledging commitment to the values of Shivaji Maharaj, Savitribai Phule and BR Ambedkar.

Meanwhile, Sunetra's hasty oath-taking surprised many as it came just three days after the demise of her husband, who died in an air crash. Political observers said the move was meant to establish Ajit Pawar’s family's primacy over the NCP which, if reunited with the NCP-SP, could face the prospects of losing dominance to Maratha strongman Sharad.

As the flux persists, Sunetra’s elevation gives the NCP leaders and Ajit Pawar loyalists the political elbow room they would need going forward. Ajit’s coterie is also wary of Sharad, who has publicly ruled out working with the BJP and is worried that any reunion of the two factions could mean the NCP quitting the NDA government in the state. That proposition is not palatable to anyone in the NCP.

That also explains why Ajit’s demise could weaken the chances of reunion of the fragmented parties. Among leaders who persuaded Sunetra to take the leap and fill the void left by Ajit was NCP executive president Praful Patel, party’s Maharashtra chief Sunil Tatkare and state minister Chhagan Bhujbal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today wished Sunetra the best in her stint. "Best wishes to Sunetra Pawar ji as she begins her tenure as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the first woman to hold this responsibility. I am confident she will work tirelessly for the welfare of the people of the state and fulfil the vision of the late Ajitdada Pawar," the PM said.

Sunetra will handle excise, sports and mines portfolios, as her late husband did, but finance would be assumed by CM Devendra Fadnavis. Ajit was to present his record 12th Maharashtra Budget in February.