Sunetra Pawar reaches Mumbai, all set to become state's first woman Dy CM

Rajya Sabha member Sunetra Pawar, who is all set to be sworn in as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister replacing her deceased husband and NCP chief Ajit Pawar in the state cabinet, reached Mumbai on Saturday.

She reached Devgiri, the official residence of her late husband in south Mumbai, in the wee hours, accompanied by son Parth.

The 62-year-old leader, who is not a member of either house of the Maharashtra legislature, will be elected as leader of the legislature wing of the Nationalist Congress Party at a meeting in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon, and is all set to take oath as Maharashtra’s first woman deputy CM.

The talk of imminent merger of NCP and the faction headed by party founder Sharad Pawar was gaining ground following Ajit Pawar's death in an air crash on Wednesday, but sources in NCP (SP) and Sharad Pawar's family said they were not privy to her decision to join the BJP-led Mahayuti government.

"The NCP (SP) leadership and Sharad Pawar's family members were completely in the dark about her plans," a source said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the BJP, which heads the ruling alliance Mahayuti, would support any decision taken by the family and party of late Ajit Pawar.

"The NCP will take whatever decision it has to take for the post of deputy chief minister, and we will support the decision. We are standing behind the family of Ajit Dada and the NCP," the CM told reporters in Nagpur on Friday.

Until the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sunetra Pawar had kept a low profile. In the Lok Sabha elections that year, she contested from Baramati as the candidate of her husband's party, but was defeated by her sister-in-law and incumbent NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule in the prestige battle.

Sunetra Pawar was subsequently elected to the Rajya Sabha.

The NCP's legislature wing will hold a meeting in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon where she would be named as its leader, state minister and senior party leader Chhagan Bhujbal said.