Sunetra Pawar is set to be sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Saturday at 5 pm, according to sources. She has agreed to take on the new responsibility while continuing to oversee the Excise and Sports departments in the state administration.
Sources within the Nationalist Congress Party indicated that the Finance portfolio will, for now, remain with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis because the state’s budget session is approaching in March. After the session, the portfolio is expected to be reassigned to the NCP as part of internal arrangements.
Party insiders said senior leaders backed Sunetra Pawar’s elevation to the deputy chief minister’s post as a strategic move to shape the party’s course ahead of the Pune Zilla Parishad elections scheduled for February 7. The proposal reportedly led to discussions within the Pawar family, after which she gave her consent to assume the role.
The swearing-in ceremony will officially place her among the state’s top decision-makers alongside the chief minister, marking a significant step in her political journey.
Her appointment comes in the wake of the death of Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash near Baramati while attempting to land. The accident resulted in the deaths of all five people on board, including his security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.
Ajit Pawar’s funeral was conducted with state honours at the Vidya Pratishthan ground in Baramati, where his sons performed the last rites. Several notable figures attended to pay their respects, including Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Sharad Pawar and Riteish Deshmukh.
