Maharashtra DyCM Sunetra Pawar elected NCP chief

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 26 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar was elected as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) National President on Thursday, announced by party leader Praful Patel.
Earlier, on February 10, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sunetra Pawar took charge as the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister.
The newly appointed Deputy CM has been allocated the portfolios of State Excise Duty, Sports and Youth Affairs and Minorities Development and Auqaf.
Her appointment comes after Ajit Pawar died on the morning of January 28 when the Learjet 45 aircraft (VT-SSK) carrying him crashed-landed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district. The aircraft went down near the runway threshold, killing all five people on board. Among the deceased were Pawar, his personal security officer, a flight attendant, and two pilots. He was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to campaign for the Zilla Panchayat elections.
Pawar's last rites were carried out with full state honours at the Vidya Pratishthan ground in Baramati on January 29, where his sons lit the funeral pyre and carried out the final rituals.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis now holds the portfolios of Planning and Finance, which were previously assigned to the late Ajit Pawar, former Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Sunetra Pawar was also elected as NCP Legislative Party Leader earlier.
She is known for her work in sustainable development, environmental conservation, and rural empowerment. A Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, she has emerged as a driving force behind several initiatives that promote inclusive and sustainable progress.
In 2010, she founded the Environmental Forum of India (EFOI), a non-governmental organisation dedicated to raising environmental awareness and fostering eco-conscious communities. She has led extensive grassroots campaigns focusing on biodiversity conservation, protection of endangered species, water resource management, and drought mitigation. (ANI)