Mumbai: Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zirwal on Thursday said there is a growing public sentiment in favour of bringing Sunetra Pawar, wife of late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, into the state cabinet.
Zirwal’s remarks come amid renewed political discussion within the NCP following Ajit Pawar’s death in a tragic plane crash earlier this week. Ajit Pawar’s faction of the NCP is a key constituent of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, along with the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Sunetra Pawar is currently a member of the Rajya Sabha. Responding to questions about the party’s future leadership, Zirwal said people were openly expressing their desire to see “vahini” — a respectful reference to Sunetra Pawar — take on a ministerial role in the state government.
“We will discuss this with the party leadership and take an appropriate decision,” Zirwal told a news channel after attending Ajit Pawar’s funeral in Baramati. He described himself as a close associate of the late leader and said the public’s expectations could not be ignored.
On speculation surrounding the possible merger of the two NCP factions, Zirwal said the divide had effectively ended. He stated that leaders on both sides had realised the need for unity and that there was no benefit in remaining fragmented.
“The two groups are already together. Everyone understands that staying united is the way forward,” he said.
Ajit Pawar and four others lost their lives on Wednesday when a chartered aircraft crashed in Baramati, Pune district. His death has left a significant void in Maharashtra politics, particularly within the NCP.
Ajit Pawar had split the party in July 2023 by joining the then Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, creating a vertical division in the NCP founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar. The latest developments suggest the party may now be entering a phase of consolidation following the veteran leader’s demise.
