Sunetra Pawar was unanimously elected as the new national president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) at the party’s national conference on 26 February 2026, nearly a month after the sudden death of party chief Ajit Pawar. Her son Parth Pawar was selected as the NCP’s candidate to represent the party in the Rajya Sabha in the upcoming biennial elections.
Senior leader Praful Patel was re-elected as national working president, while Sunil Tatkare was unanimously re-elected as the Maharashtra unit president.
In her address, Sunetra Pawar acknowledged that the responsibility would be challenging but said she was not new to politics or public life, having been closely associated with the party for years. She outlined a focus on expanding the party’s presence in urban areas and strengthening outreach to women, while reiterating commitment to the ideological legacy of Shiv, Shahu, Phule and Ambedkar. She also said she had set aside personal grief for the welfare of the State and described the party as her extended family.