NCP pushes Sunetra Pawar for cabinet, party roles amid merger talks

Mumbai: Within hours of Ajit Pawar's funeral, NCP leaders began pushing for Sunetra Pawar's induction into the state cabinet and her elevation to manage party affairs.

The push comes even as the Sharad Pawar faction renews calls for a merger. "Sunetra tai should be made deputy CM - a true tribute to Dada that will carry forward the Pawar legacy. This is the people's wish and I will raise it with senior leaders," said NCP MLA Narhari Zirwal.

NCP vice-president Pramod Hindurao, considered close to Ajit Pawar, echoed the call, saying, "Sunetra vahini should now take charge of the party." The push gained momentum after senior leaders Praful Patel and Chhagan Bhujbal met Sunetra Pawar following the funeral, amid buzz that the NCP executive may be convened to elect her leader, even as merger talks add complexity.


Senior NCP(SP) leader Jayant Patil said Ajit Pawar had backed a merger of the two factions. "Ajit and I met several times and also held talks with party leaders. We agreed to first contest the upcoming Zilla Parishad polls together in an alliance and then take the merger talks forward," he said.

Patil, along with other NCP(SP) leaders including Anil Deshmukh and the state party president, also met Sunetra Pawar after the funeral, though details of the discussions remain unclear.

Calls for reunification are also growing within the NCP. "We cannot remain divided. It is time for both factions to come together - this is what the people of the state want," Zirwal said.

Before Ajit's death, the two factions had discussed a merger with him at the helm. Now, sources said the situation is fluid, with any decision on reunification hinging on who will lead the party and Sunetra Pawar's role in the new arrangement.