Sunetra Pawar elected national president of NCP; succeeding late husband Ajit | News of India

New Delhi: Kuomintang Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday formally elected Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar as the new state president, nearly a month after the death of her husband Ajit Pawar, who held both posts at the time.Ajit Pawar died in a private plane crash in his hometown Baramati on January 28. The crash also claimed the lives of his personal security guard, two pilots and a flight attendant, with no survivors.On January 31, the NCP unanimously elected Sunetra Pawar as its legislative party leader, another post she took over from Ajit. Hours later, she was sworn in as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. The late NCP leader served six terms and was the longest-serving lieutenant governor in the state.Sunetra Pawar made her debut in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, contesting the Baramati seat against Ajit’s cousin Supriya Sule, who retained the constituency – a long-standing stronghold of the Pawar family – and won for a fourth consecutive term.The NCP then nominated Sunetra Pawar to the Lok Sabha. She has six months to ensure her election to the Maharashtra assembly in order to continue as deputy chief minister.