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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

‘Vahini’ crowned NCP’s new ‘Maharani’

Mumbai:  Damning all political ‘pundits’ and ‘punters’ on the fate of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) after its President and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s numbing death in an air-crash on Jan. 28, his widow Sunetra Ajit Pawar seamlessly bounced into his place, both in the party and the government. Feeling orphaned and rudderless, the top-brass quickly elected Sunetra, 62, a Rajya Sabha Member, as the new NCP President, as the NCP Legislature Party Group Leader and as the Deputy CM of the state –...

‘Vahini’ crowned NCP’s new ‘Maharani’

Mumbai:  Damning all political ‘pundits’ and ‘punters’ on the fate of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) after its President and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s numbing death in an air-crash on Jan. 28, his widow Sunetra Ajit Pawar seamlessly bounced into his place, both in the party and the government. Feeling orphaned and rudderless, the top-brass quickly elected Sunetra, 62, a Rajya Sabha Member, as the new NCP President, as the NCP Legislature Party Group Leader and as the Deputy CM of the state – making her the first woman to occupy the august post – and ensuring continuity with change. Most political analysts – who crowed of an impending doom for the NCP – were left speechless and breathless at Sunetra’s dramatic catapult into three key positions, wielding full control, barely 72 hours after her husband’s passing. For the soft-spoken Sunetra, these official positions may be new, but she’s hardly naïve and boasts a quiet and commanding profile in public life, in the social and business fields, though she was rarely seen and hardly heard, letting Ajit Pawar bask in the limelight. Political Clan Hailing from a prominent state political clan, her reluctant political journey started in summer-2024 when the NCP fielded her against her ‘nanad’ (and Ajit Pawar’s cousin), Supriya Sule, a three-time veteran MP from the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. It was intended to score political brownies over the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) of Sharad Pawar after the party he founded 25 years ago suffered a bitter vertical split in July 2023 - that even divided all the people in every home of Baramati. The 2024 Baramati LS contest rivalled that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Varanasi), but in the ‘Vahini’ ‘Nanad’ fight, the latter emerged victorious. However, Sunetra Pawar took it in her stride and she became a Rajya Sabha Member in June 2024 – which she quit today after taking over a Dy CM. Both Sunetra and Supriya enjoy cordial relations, both were MPs, both ensured the heat and dust of politics did not affect familial ties – as strictly ensured by Sharad Pawar since the past six decades – and was visible when the entire Pawar clan turned out to support her after Ajit Pawar’s sudden death. Away in Shadows Born in Ter, Dharashiv, Sunetra is the younger sister of former Minister and ex-MP Padamsinh B. Patil, and is a B.Com . Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, but preferred to stay away in the shadows. Silently working, Sunetra gradually built a public profile rooted in sustainable development, environmental conservation, women’s empowerment and rural transformation. Combining community-based involvement with institutional leadership, she played a significant role in shaping mass rural development models in the state. In 2010, she founded the NGO Environmental Forum of India (EFOI), that focused on environmental awareness and sustainable rural practices, introduced India’s eco-village model, integrating sanitation, renewable energy, waste management, green-bridge technology, solar technology and livelihood generation into rural development. It caught national attention after Katewadi village in Baramati was transformed into the country’s first eco-village in 2008. She led the Nirmal Gram (Clean Village) Campaign through self-help groups across 86 villages in Maharashtra, promoting organic farming, biodiversity conservation, water management and drought mitigation. Over the years, her initiatives bagged her multiple honours like the Sant Gadge Baba Swachata Abhiyan Award, Green Warrior Award, Cyber Gram Award, Nirmal Gram Award presented by then President Pratibha Patil, and recognition at the SACOSAN Summit under SAARC. In 2006, she took over as Chairperson of the Baramati Hi-Tech Textile Park Ltd, a multi-modal garment manufacturing cluster under the Centre’s Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks. Employing over 15,000 rural women, the park provides subsidies, training and skill-upgradation facilities, and ranks as her flagship contribution to women’s empowerment, with widespread recognition. Sunetra is a Trustee of Vidya Pratishthan, the premier educational institution with over 25,000 students, founded in 1972 by Sharad Pawar, and is a member of a Think Tank, the World Entrepreneurship Forum, France, since 2011, and is a Trustee-Advisor to an old age home in Baramati. Sunetra Ajit Pawar – propelled into high-profile duties three days after her husband Ajit Pawar’s death – is usually seen sporting pastel-shaded plain saris of different materials, silks, starched cottons, with light designs, accompanied by matching or colourful or printed blouses. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sunetra Pawar was allotted excise, sports, minority development and Aukaf departments, but not finance and planning which her late husband Ajit Pawar held.

Legacy at crossroads

Questions raised over Parth Pawar’s political trajectory

Mumbai: Absence of Parth Pawar, elder son of late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and newly sworn-in Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar, from his mother’s swearing-in ceremony has sparked intense speculation in Maharashtra’s political circles. While Sunetra Pawar stepped into her husband’s shoes with the blessings of the Mahayuti coalition, Parth’s conspicuous absence has raised questions about his political trajectory and the future of the Pawar family’s legacy.


Ajit Pawar had made no secret of his desire to see Parth emerge as his political successor. The Pawar scion was projected as the next-generation leader of the family, expected to carry forward the formidable political clout built by Ajit in Baramati and across Maharashtra. However, Parth’s journey so far has been marked more by controversies than achievements.


In 2019 Lok Sabha elections Parth contested from Maval constituency but suffered a humiliating defeat, losing by a margin of over two lakh votes. The loss dented his credibility and raised doubts about his connect with grassroots voters.


His name has also surfaced in multiple controversies and allegations were levelled against him in cases including the recent Pune land scam inquiry. While no charges have been proven, the shadow of investigations has kept him away from the limelight.


All this has affected the public perception and unlike Ajit Pawar, who was known for his accessibility and hands-on approach, Parth has often been criticized for being aloof and disconnected from the masses.


BJP Factor

Speculations are rife that the BJP leadership deliberately kept Parth away from Sunetra Pawar’s swearing-in ceremony. With inquiries pending, the party is wary of projecting him as a face of governance. For the Mahayuti coalition, stability and credibility are paramount, and Parth’s presence could have complicated the optics at a sensitive moment.


This move also signals that while the Pawar family remains central to NCP’s identity, the BJP is keen to control succession narratives within its allies to avoid reputational risks.


Sharad Pawar’s Shadow

Parth’s meeting with his grand uncle Sharad Pawar on the morning of the swearing-in adds another layer of intrigue. Sharad Pawar, the patriarch of the family and founder of the NCP, has historically played kingmaker in Maharashtra politics. His counsel could prove decisive in shaping Parth’s future—whether as a rehabilitated leader within the party or as someone sidelined until controversies clear.


In her social media post Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson and former NCP leader, Sushama Andhare too has raised questions over the apparent ‘haste’ in deciding Ajit Pawar’s successor and Sunetra Pawar’s swearing in while hinting at the possible adverse effects of the haste on political future of Ajit Pawar’s sons.


Road Ahead

For Parth to revive his political fortunes, he must emulate his father’s relentless grassroots connect. Ajit Pawar’s success lay in his ability to be constantly available to the people of Baramati, solving everyday issues and building loyalty that transcended generations.


Sunetra Pawar’s entry into the Deputy CM’s office could also serve as a turning point. If she mentors Parth in the art of people-centric politics, he may yet carve out a role for himself. But if he remains embroiled in controversies and distant from voters, his political ambitions may falter before they take flight.


According to political analysts, Parth is likely to remain in the background until inquiries into the land scam conclude. His absence from the swearing-in suggests a deliberate strategy to keep him away from public scrutiny. His political rehabilitation depends on whether Sunetra Pawar consolidates her position and creates space for her son in the party structure. If he learns to walk Ajit Pawar’s path of grassroots politics, he could still emerge as a viable heir. Otherwise, the Pawar legacy may shift decisively toward Sunetra and other family members.

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