‘Political manoeuvring, agenda’ behind Sunetra Pawar’s appointment, claims Shiv Sena (UBT)

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was the first to raise doubts over the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in Baramati; others are now echoing similar concerns.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamana on Monday described the appointment of Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, as Deputy Chief Minister as a “political manoeuvre” allegedly driven by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The editorial also claimed the decision was part of a broader agenda to prevent a merger between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and to ensure political continuity under the current power structure.

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Suggesting the possibility of “foul play”, Banerjee too had alleged that Ajit Pawar was planning to leave the BJP-led alliance and rejoin the NCP faction led by his uncle, Sharad Pawar. The Saamana editorial, which termed Sunetra Pawar’s appointment “hasty” and a “second shock” for Maharashtra, argued that while the state had gained its first woman Deputy Chief Minister, the post was not achieved through “individual administrative merit” but through “political manoeuvres”.

Even before the ashes of Ajit Pawar’s funeral pyre had cooled, Sunetra Pawar was sworn in, it said, raising questions across the state about who orchestrated the move.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut added what he described as the “suspicious” circumstances surrounding Ajit Pawar’s death. Speaking in Delhi, Raut called for a thorough investigation into the plane crash. He claimed that Ajit Pawar had recently expressed a desire to “return home” and reunite the two NCP factions, and subsequently threatened with the reopening of files related to the irrigation scam, also known as the “Sinchan Ghotala”. Ajit Pawar died within ten days of these developments, Raut said, adding that “something happened behind the curtains”.

Raut also claimed that Ajit Pawar had initiated talks with NCP founder Sharad Pawar to reunify the party—a move “opposed by political forces that would have been sidelined by such reconciliation.”

Notably, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar had also stated that he was neither consulted nor informed about the decision to appoint Sunetra Pawar. The buzz also is that Sunetra Pawar’s swift appointment was intended to pre-empt speculation over NCP leadership and stall any momentum towards a merger. Political observers note that both the NCP and the BJP may have pushed for a rapid appointment to contain potential fallout following Ajit Pawar’s death and to assert control before renewed merger talks between the two NCP factions could gather pace.