The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday formally elected Maharashtra Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar as its new national president.
The announcement was made by senior NCP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel at the National Executive Committee meeting of the NCP, at the Worli Dome auditorium. Patel had also been serving as the acting party chief until the formal takeover.
"I propose that Mrs Sunetra Ajit Dada Pawar be elected as the National President of our Nationalist Congress Party," he said. Patel's statement was followed by a unanimous show of hands in favour of her becoming the NCP chief.
This comes almost a month after the death of her husband and former NCP chief, Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash at the Baramati Airport on January 28.
Three days later after the devastating crash of the Learjet 45, into which the investigation is ongoing, she became the first woman Deputy CM of Maharashtra, and was allotted the excise, sports, minority development, and Aukaf departments.
"Ajit Pawar’s place cannot be filled but I accept this responsibility with humility. I will work towards fulfilling his dreams," she said in her first comments since Patel's announcement.
"I will not give up, I will not be defeated, I will not be left behind," she added.
The 62-year-old leader has also stepped down from her Rajya Sabha membership—as she is expected to contest elections from the Baramati constituency in place of her late husband.
Notably, in his Thursday speech, Patel had also addressed Sunetra Pawar's Rajya Sabha exit, saying that her son, Parth Pawar, would be contesting her seat in the biennial elections scheduled for March 16.
Patel added that 35-year-old Parth Pawar, who needs 37 votes to succeed in the Rajya Sabha, will be backed by 40 MLAs from the party.
He faces competition from former Mumbai south central MP Rahul Shewale from the Shiv Sena, while the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has not announced its RS candidate, as reports say it will take place after NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar is discharged from hospital.
