Sunetra Pawar Set to Become Maharashtra's First Woman Deputy Chief Minister

Oath Ceremony Tomorrow.

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@hindostantimes.com

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MUMBAI — In a major political development following the tragic demise of Ajit Pawar, his wife and Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar is set to be sworn in as the new Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

According to official sources and statements from senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders, the oath-taking ceremony is scheduled to take place tomorrow, Saturday, January 31, at 5:00 PM.

Sunetra Pawar will make history as the first woman to hold the post of Deputy Chief Minister in Maharashtra.The NCP has convened a meeting of its legislature party tomorrow afternoon at Vidhan Bhavan, where she will be formally elected as the leader of the legislative wing.

She is expected to retain the Excise and Sports portfolios previously held by her late husband. However, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will temporarily take charge of the Finance Ministry ahead of the upcoming state budget session.

The decision comes as the NCP seeks to stabilize its leadership after Ajit Pawar’s untimely death in a plane crash earlier this week. Senior party leaders, including Chhagan Bhujbal and Praful Patel, proposed Sunetra Pawar’s name to ensure continuity and to lead the party into the upcoming Pune Zilla Parishad elections on February 7.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has reportedly expressed no objection to the appointment, signaling the Mahayuti alliance's support for the transition. While the move is seen as a way to carry forward the "Pawar legacy," it has also drawn mixed reactions from the opposition regarding the timing during the family's period of mourning.