Friday marked a critical juncture in Maharashtra politics when top NCP brass met CM Devendra Fadnavis to address the fallout from Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s fatal plane accident. Central to the conversation were the selection of a new legislature party head and the deputy chief minister succession.
Praful Patel spearheaded the team, joined by Sunil Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, and Dhananjay Munde. The parley emphasized hastening resolutions on portfolios and authority structures to avert any governance hiccups.
Patel later told the press that a MLAs’ assembly would formalize the leadership pick. ‘We’ve alerted the CM to expedite cabinet and helm decisions. Post-consultation with our legislators, we’ll lock in our position,’ he said, underscoring sensitivity to party workers’ and officials’ feelings.
Speculation over Sunetra Pawar drew a line: ‘No mention in today’s meet; internal affair. Family’s in grief—talks with her post-rites, tonight or dawn,’ Patel detailed. He promised a swift, MLAs-approved fill for the deputy CM berth.
This aligns with Narhari Zirwal’s funeral-side call in Baramati for Sunetra, to perpetuate Pawar clout. NCP’s navigation of this void will shape the ruling pact’s future, blending tribute to a lost stalwart with pragmatic power plays in India’s western powerhouse state.