Ajit Pawar's memorial to come up on Vidya Pratishthan premises in Baramati

A memorial of late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will be set up on the premises of Vidya Pratishthan the Baramatibased educational institution founded by the Pawar family a close associate has said reported news agency PTIAjit Pawar 66 and four others were killed in a plane crash near the airstrip at Baramati airport in Pune district on January 28Kiran Gujar a close aide of Ajit Pawar and confidant of the Pawar family on Sunday said the memorial has been planned on the Vidya Pratishthan premises where his last rites were performed reported PTIToday Sharad Pawar saheb before heading to Mumbai visited the venue of the last rites along with Pratibha Pawar and instructed me and the trustees of Vidya Pratishthan to chalk out a plan for Ajit Dadas memorial Gujar told PTIDiscussions will be held with the trustees to finalise the design and structure of the memorial in the coming days he addedAjit Pawar was a prominent political figure in Maharashtra and had played a key role in the development of Baramati which has long been considered the Pawar familys political strongholdAmid merger speculation after Ajit Pawars death Tatkare says NCP will continue to be in NDAMeanwhile NCP Maharashtra president and Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare on Sunday said his party will continue to be a part of the BJPled NDA asserting that the organisation will move forward on the ideology and path laid down by the late Ajit Pawar reported PTIHis statement came amid claims that February 12 had been fixed as the date for the announcement of the merger between the NCP and NCP SP more than two and a half years after the Sharad Pawarfounded party split following Ajit Pawars switch over to the ruling MahayutiWhatever people may say our stand is clear We will take forward the party and the ideology given by Ajitdada We are firm on this position Tatkare told reporters at the NCP Nationalist Congress Party state office in MumbaiWe are with the NDA National Democratic Alliance and will remain with the NDA This was a wellthoughtout decision taken by Ajitdada the Raigad Lok Sabha MP said reported PTIThe decision to align with the ruling National Democratic Alliance was taken collectively under Ajit Pawars leadership Tatkare said emphasising he had never taken any political decision without the late leaders consentReferring to criticism over the haste in having Sunetra Pawar sworn in as deputy chief minister just days after Pawars death Tatkare said the Constitution gives everyone the right to express their views but stressed that the decision was taken in the interest of Maharashtra and to strengthen the NCPThere is nothing wrong in her taking the oath to stabilise Maharashtra and to fulfil Ajit Pawars vision of a developed state he said reported PTITatkare said the decision on the partys Rajya Sabha candidate was an internal matter of the NCP and praised the BJP for maintaining cordial relations within the NDA The BJP has always cooperated with us and treated its allies with respect he said reported PTIWith inputs from PTI