Is Maharashtra Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar likely to become the Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) national president too? There are reasons to believe that this speculation can come true. In fact, NCP legislator Pratap Patil Chikhlikar recently told a regional news channel that many MLAs are of the view that she should become the party's president as well.
Chikhlikar, who represents the Loha Kandhar constituency from the Nanded district, said that NCP legislators had submitted a letter to state president Sunil Tatkare stating that Sunetra Pawar be made party president after Ajit Pawar's demise.
This follows days of speculations about who would be appointed to the topmost post in the party. There were reports that working president Praful Patel would be asked to shoulder the responsibility, but Patel himself dismissed the reports on Tuesday. Union Minister Piyush Goyal had earlier said that Patel would be the NCP president after Ajit Pawar.
VIDEO | At a press conference, NCP leader Praful Patel says, “...We decided immediately because such an issue cannot be kept pending for many days. Secondly, the party needs stability and direction. All the members, including the MLAs, felt that Sunetra ji Pawar should take up… pic.twitter.com/ih2sl1F402
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 3, 2026
Patel said that the decision would be taken soon after the mourning period of 13 days. Sunetra Pawar was made Deputy CM immediately, as the idea that the post should not remain vacant was the view of the party, Patel added.
Patel also said that the talks about the possible merger of the two factions were not true as the electoral alliance was limited to local body and municipal corporation elections.
Legislators feel that Sunetra Pawar's selection for party president would be better for the NCP as their voters would like a Pawar family member at its top.
It will also help to counter the claim that the party is being run by the diktats of the BJP.
As a minister, Sunetra is expected to be decisive, even though she doesn't have the most important portfolio that Ajit Pawar had—the finance department.
Senior ministers like Dilip Walse Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal are also expected to guide her till she gets settled in her role.
The Rajya Sabha seat that she occupied is expected to be given to either Parth or Jay (her sons). All this will make it clear that the Pawar family is firmly at the helm of the party.
She could also take the path of reuniting both factions that her husband had in mind, as is being claimed by the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP.
