News Broadcasting
NCP’s Sunetra Pawar to be Maharashtra’s next deputy chief minister
MUMBAI: Sunetra Pawar, wife of the late Ajit Pawar, will take oath as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister on Saturday, media reports say, two days after his death in a plane crash.
According to reports, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has summoned a legislature party meeting at 2pm on Saturday, where Sunetra Pawar, a Rajya Sabha member, is expected to be elected as leader. She is then likely to be sworn in as deputy chief minister at around 5pm at Raj Bhavan, as preparations are underway at the governor’s residence.
Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister and a veteran NCP leader, died when a chartered Learjet 45 carrying him and four others crashed near Baramati on 28 January. The aviation regulator confirmed that all on board were killed when the aircraft burst into flames during a second landing attempt.
The sudden loss of one of Maharashtra’s most experienced politicians has prompted swift consultation among NCP leaders. Party figures, including working president Praful Patel, have been involved in talks on succession and organisational continuity. Reports suggest that several senior leaders support Sunetra Pawar’s elevation, viewing it as a unifying choice at a fraught moment.
According to party allies, Sunetra Pawar may also be considered for additional responsibilities within the state government. Some sources indicate that she would oversee portfolios such as excise and sports, while the finance brief could move to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Observers see this as a pragmatic division of duties intended to balance governance and political stability.
The transition unfolds against the backdrop of wider speculation over the future of the NCP, including talks about reconciling rival factions that split in recent years. Close aides of Ajit Pawar had been exploring avenues to bring the party’s different strands back together before his death, and that conversation may now gain fresh impetus.
Ajit Pawar’s demise has left a notable vacuum in Maharashtra politics. As a long-serving deputy chief minister, he had overseen key portfolios, including finance and planning, and played a central role in the state’s coalition government. His unexpected death has triggered intense reflection among allies and critics alike on both his legacy and the path ahead.
As Maharashtra prepares for Sunetra Pawar’s swearing-in, the NCP faces its most urgent test in years: turning tragedy into cohesion and navigating a new chapter in state leadership.
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
