Sunetra Pawar Takes Oath, Becomes Maharashtra's 1st Woman Deputy Chief Minister

The NCP, a constituent of the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, on Saturday submitted a letter on the election of Sunetra Pawar, wife of Ajit Pawar, as its legislature party leader to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Sunetra Pawar is set to take oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state, replacing Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash on Wednesday.

On Wednesday morning, NCP chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash. Just three days later, on Saturday evening, his wife Sunetra Pawar is set to take the oath as Deputy Chief Minister.

Sunetra Pawar named leader of NCP legislature party hours before Maharashtra oath ceremony

During a meeting at Vidhan Bhavan, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders unanimously elected Sunetra Pawar as party leader. She is set to become Maharashtra's first woman Deputy Chief Minister.

The oath taking ceremy, scheduled for today, 5 pm, will be a low-key affair, limited entirely to administrative formalities. There will be no elaborate decorations or grand lighting arrangements.

Only the Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), and a few selected family members will be present at the ceremony.

After her husband, Ajit Pawar, died in a plane crash on Wednesday morning, the post of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and NCP Chief fell vacant, prompting the Rajya Sabha MP to take over the role. But there is a condition - Sunetra Pawar needs to get elected to the state legislature (as an MLA or MLC) within six months.

Born in 1963 in Dharashiv (formerly Osmanabad), Sunetra Pawar's political DNA predates her marriage into the Pawar family. Her father, Bajirao Patil, was a veteran regional leader, and her brother, Padamsinh Bajirao Patil, was a formidable figure in district politics during the 1980s. She grew up in a household where public life and politics were part of everyday conversation.

Sunetra Pawar holds a BCom degree from SB College, Aurangabad. Despite her commerce degree, she has led large industrial ventures like the Baramati High-Tech Textile Park, where she was responsible for decision-making on four fronts: production, investment, employment, and women's empowerment.

As a business entrepreneur, she translated her academic background into institutional management. As a trustee of a large educational group like Vidya Pratishthan, she oversees the education, academic quality, and administrative structure for over 25,000 students.

Known for her clean image, she has often been seen involved in social service activities.

According to information on her website, she founded the Environmental Forum og India (EFOI), under which she played a key role in transforming Katewadi village into India's first 'eco village', a model for water conservation and solar energy.

The decision to appoint Sunetra Pawar as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra was taken by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the Pawar family was not consulted, said Ajit Pawar's uncle and NCP-SP Chief, Sharad Pawar.

When asked if he was sidelined from the process of deciding Ajit Pawar's successor, Sharad Pawar said, "I don't know."

Senior Pawar's remarks clearly indicate a demarcation between politics and family. In July 2023, the NCP split into two factions after Ajit Pawar walked out of his party, breaking from his uncle's side to carve his own path in the political history of the state.

In the political corridors of Maharashtra, the name 'Pawar' has long been synonymous with power. But right now, the spotlight is not on a seasoned politician from the Pawar family, but a face that has spent decades observing the machinery of governance from behind the scenes: Sunetra Pawar, affectionately known as 'vahini' (sister-in-law).

Amid the political vacuum created after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar is emerging as a decisive force in state politics. Leaders of the Ajit Pawar faction appear ready to accept her leadership as she steps into the forefront.

Academically, a graduate, Sunetra Pawar's parliamentary record so far has been average, writes Mayur Parikh. Read here