Sharad Pawar’s Cautious Comment Sets the Tone
Veteran leader Sharad Pawar’s brief but pointed remark on Sunetra Pawar’s elevation as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister has captured the uncertainty gripping state politics. By publicly stating that he was unaware of her swearing-in plans and that the decision lay solely with her party, Pawar signaled both distance and lingering fault lines within the extended Pawar family. His comment framed the moment not as a smooth succession, but as a politically sensitive transition shaped by grief, urgency, and unresolved factional tensions.
A Sudden Loss That Reshaped Maharashtra Politics
The political churn follows the tragic death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, whose passing in a plane crash abruptly ended one of Maharashtra’s most influential careers. Ajit Pawar had been a central pillar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and later its breakaway Ajit Pawar faction, commanding loyalty among legislators and wielding administrative authority across decades. His dismissal from public life through tragedy, rather than electoral defeat, has left a vacuum that demanded an immediate political response—both to stabilize governance and to preserve factional unity.
Power Vacuum and the Rush to Fill It
In the days following Ajit Pawar’s death, uncertainty gripped the ruling Mahayuti alliance. With local body elections approaching and coalition arithmetic at stake, the Ajit Pawar–led NCP faction moved quickly to avoid drift. The decision to project Sunetra Pawar as the new legislative leader—and by extension Deputy Chief Minister—was taken internally, without wider family consultation. This haste ensured continuity but also reopened wounds from the 2023 NCP split, particularly with Sharad Pawar’s faction watching developments cautiously.
Sunetra Pawar Before the Deputy CM Office
Sunetra Pawar’s political journey has been unconventional. For nearly four decades, she remained largely outside electoral politics, focusing on social initiatives in Baramati and supporting Ajit Pawar’s expansive political career. Known locally for her involvement in education, health programs, and women’s self-help groups, she built goodwill without cultivating a mass political persona.
Her formal entry into politics came only after the NCP’s internal rupture. In 2024, she contested the Baramati Lok Sabha seat against Supriya Sule, turning a family rivalry into a public electoral contest. The decisive loss underscored Sharad Pawar’s enduring influence in the constituency, but it also marked Sunetra’s baptism into competitive politics. Subsequently, her unopposed nomination to the Rajya Sabha provided parliamentary exposure without the pressures of grassroots mobilization, allowing her to engage selectively on rural development and women-centric issues.
Experience, Perception, and Political Calculus
Critics argue that Sunetra Pawar’s administrative and legislative experience remains limited for a role as demanding as Deputy Chief Minister. Supporters counter that her elevation is less about personal ambition and more about preserving stability within the coalition and sympathy-driven continuity within the Pawar legacy. Her informal influence within Ajit Pawar’s faction, combined with the backing of senior leaders, has positioned her as an acceptable consensus figure—at least for now.
Continuity or a Test of Leadership
Sunetra Pawar’s ascent reflects a moment where emotion, pragmatism, and power intersect. While her appointment may steady the ruling alliance in the short term, it also places her under intense scrutiny as she navigates factional loyalties, coalition pressures, and Sharad Pawar’s long shadow. Whether this transition evolves into durable leadership or exposes deeper fractures will shape Maharashtra’s political trajectory in the months ahead.
(With agency inputs)
