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Mumbai: A video showing late Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in discussion with his uncle Sharad Pawar has surfaced on social media, hours before Sunetra Pawar's oath-taking ceremony on Saturday (January 31).

Nationalist Congress Party MP Sunetra Pawar, the widow of Ajit Pawar, is set to take oath as the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister this evening. According to reports, this video comes amid the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) (NCP SP) chief, Sharad Pawar, allegedly stating that he was unaware of the decision favouring Sunetra Pawar succeeding her husband in the vacant post.

As Maharashtra prepares for a key leadership transition, the emergence of the meeting video from earlier this month, and Sharad Pawar confirming that he was not privy to Sunetra Pawar's oath-taking, can be looked at as crucial developments given the political speculations in the state post-Ajit Pawar's sudden death.

The video, dated January 17, shows Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar meeting in Baramati along with senior leaders from both factions of the NCP. Leaders from the NCP(SP) have claimed the meeting was the last round of discussions on a possible merger of the two factions, which have remained split since 2023.

The Nationalist Congress Party split in July 2023 when Ajit Pawar broke away with a majority of the party’s MLAs to join the BJP-led Mahayuti government. Following the split, Sharad Pawar went ahead with the NCP(SP). While the two factions recently contested the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporation elections together, the alliance failed to bring electoral gains, with the BJP securing a victory.

Sharad Pawar confirmed that talks between the two sides had been in progress for about four months and involved senior leaders, including Supriya Sule and Jayant Patil. He said that the discussions have now been paused due to Ajit Pawar’s demise. He reportedly added that his nephew had suggested February 12 as a tentative date to declare the reunification of the party.

Amid fresh speculation about the future of the party, Sharad Pawar rejected suggestions of any political realignment as a priority. 

Sunetra Pawar is expected to be sworn in as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister at 5 pm in Mumbai, becoming the first woman to hold the post. Leaders from the NCP have said there was strong demand within the party for her to take on the role following Ajit Pawar’s death.

According to reports, when Sharad Pawar was asked about Sunetra Pawar's oath-taking ceremony scheduled this evening, he said he was not aware of the same. "I have no information about it (Sunetra Pawar's name for the Deputy CM post). Her party must have decided. What I saw in the newspaper today: some names like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatakare who have taken the initiative to make some decisions," he said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the ruling alliance would respect the NCP’s decision on filling the vacant position. “The decision will be taken by the NCP. We will stand by whatever decision the party takes,” he said while speaking to reporters on Friday.

Ajit Pawar, 66, died on January 28 when a Learjet 45 crashed in Baramati, killing four others. The civil aviation ministry has said an investigation is underway and that the aircraft’s black box has been retrieved.

(With agency inputs)