Mumbai: Rajya Sabha member Sunetra Pawar, 62, was sworn in on Saturday as Maharashtra’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister, marking a historic moment in the state’s political landscape. The oath-taking ceremony took place in Mumbai, days after the death of her husband and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in Baramati.
Following Ajit Pawar’s death on January 28, the NCP, a key constituent of the BJP-led Mahayuti government, unanimously elected Sunetra Pawar as the leader of its legislature wing. A formal letter communicating the decision was submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who forwarded it to Governor Acharya Devvrat for approval.
Sunetra Pawar’s name was proposed by senior NCP leader Dilip Walse Patil and seconded by Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal during a meeting of the party’s legislature wing. The meeting was held at the ground-floor office of late Ajit Pawar in the Vidhan Bhavan complex in south Mumbai.
During the meeting, Sunetra Pawar paid floral tributes to a portrait of her late husband. Their younger son Jay was also present. Several ministers and legislators were visibly emotional as they arrived at the Vidhan Bhavan complex for the proceedings.
Ajit Pawar, who served as Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government, lost his life along with four others in an air crash near Baramati. His sudden death had left a significant political vacuum within the ruling alliance and the NCP.
Until the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sunetra Pawar had largely remained away from active politics. She entered the electoral arena that year by contesting from Baramati as the NCP candidate but was defeated by her sister-in-law and NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule. She was later elected to the Rajya Sabha, paving the way for a larger role in state politics.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best wishes to Sunetra Pawar on assuming office. In a post on X, he congratulated her on becoming Maharashtra’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister and expressed confidence that she would work dedicatedly for the welfare of the people while carrying forward the vision of the late Ajit Pawar.
