MUMBAI, JAN 31: Sunetra Pawar, 62, wife of the late Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar, was sworn in as Maharashtra’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister in a formal ceremony held in Mumbai on Saturday. Her elevation comes days after Ajit Pawar died in an air crash in Baramati on January 28, triggering a swift political succession within the party.
Following her husband’s death, the NCP, a key constituent of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, held internal consultations and elected Sunetra Pawar as the leader of its legislature wing. Party leaders said the decision was taken to ensure continuity of the NCP’s presence in the state government and to maintain stability within the coalition.
A formal letter notifying her election as legislature party leader was submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who in turn forwarded it to Governor Acharya Devvrat for constitutional formalities. After the requisite procedures were completed, Sunetra Pawar took the oath of office and secrecy at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai, becoming the first woman to hold the post of Deputy Chief Minister in Maharashtra’s history.
Political observers said her appointment marks a significant moment for women’s representation in the state’s executive, even as questions linger over her prior political profile and future role in policy‑making. The NCP and its allies have described her induction as a tribute to Ajit Pawar’s legacy and a move to consolidate the party’s position in the ongoing power structure.
