Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar has been elected unopposed as national president of the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party at a meeting held late on Monday, marking a significant shift in the leadership structure of the breakaway faction that emerged from the 2023 split in the party.Senior leader Praful Patel formally proposed her name at the gathering, and no other nominations were filed, paving the way for her unanimous selection. Party functionaries said she will assume official charge at an executive meeting convened for 26 February, when organisational ratifications are expected to be completed.
Her elevation consolidates the Pawar family’s hold over the faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party–Shiv Sena coalition government in Maharashtra in July 2023. That move triggered a split in the Nationalist Congress Party, dividing it between the group led by Ajit Pawar and the faction headed by Sharad Pawar, one of the party’s founders and a towering figure in state and national politics.
Sunetra Pawar’s appointment is being viewed within party circles as both symbolic and strategic. A first-time Member of Parliament, she entered electoral politics in the 2024 general election, contesting from Baramati, a constituency long associated with the Pawar family. Although she did not secure victory, her campaign raised her profile within the organisation and signalled the faction’s intent to project a new leadership face alongside Ajit Pawar.
The Election Commission’s decision last year to recognise the Ajit Pawar group as the official Nationalist Congress Party and allot it the party’s name and symbol strengthened the faction’s organisational standing. That ruling followed competing claims over the party’s identity and assets after the split. The Sharad Pawar-led camp was subsequently allotted a separate name and symbol, formalising the division ahead of state and national electoral contests.
Praful Patel, a former Union minister and a key strategist within the Ajit Pawar camp, has played a central role in consolidating the faction’s national profile. His proposal of Sunetra Pawar’s name at Monday’s meeting underscored the leadership’s intent to present continuity while broadening the party’s appeal. Leaders present at the meeting described the move as a consensus choice aimed at ensuring stability before the forthcoming executive session.
Political analysts in Maharashtra suggest that appointing Sunetra Pawar as national president may serve multiple objectives. It allows Ajit Pawar to continue focusing on governance as Deputy Chief Minister while retaining influence over party affairs through a trusted family member. It also positions the faction to project a cohesive front in the run-up to organisational restructuring and future electoral preparations.
The Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party holds ministerial positions in the Maharashtra government and remains an important component of the ruling alliance. Since the split, the faction has sought to expand its footprint beyond traditional strongholds in western Maharashtra, aiming to retain cadres who shifted allegiance during the turbulence of 2023. Internal meetings over the past year have focused on district-level appointments, youth outreach and coordination with alliance partners.
Sunetra Pawar’s political trajectory has unfolded against the backdrop of a complex realignment in Maharashtra politics. The 2023 realignment that brought Ajit Pawar into government reshaped coalition arithmetic and altered long-standing rivalries. The subsequent legal and political battles over party control kept both factions in the public eye for months, with competing rallies and organisational appointments.
Her unopposed election may also be intended to signal unity within the Ajit Pawar camp after a period of intense scrutiny. While the Sharad Pawar faction continues to maintain its own organisational network and public outreach, the Ajit-led group has emphasised administrative performance and alliance stability as its core message.
Senior members of the faction have indicated that the executive meeting on 26 February will outline the party’s roadmap, including structural changes and possible expansions of its national committee. Observers note that the formal assumption of office by Sunetra Pawar at that session will complete the leadership transition and could be accompanied by announcements on appointments to key posts.
For the Pawar family, the development reflects a generational and strategic recalibration. Ajit Pawar has long been considered a powerful organiser with a strong base among cooperative institutions and regional leaders. By elevating Sunetra Pawar, the faction reinforces its identity while seeking to balance experience with renewal.