Sunetra Pawar Becomes First Woman Deputy CM of Maharashtra | ISH News

Описание: After the sudden death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in Baramati on 28 January 2026, questions arose about the future of his NCP faction. Amid speculation and political uncertainty, a major decision was taken with his wife, Sunetra Pawar, being appointed as the new Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Soon after Ajit Pawar’s death, reports suggested that his NCP faction might merge again with Sharad Pawar’s NCP, though this was denied by some leaders. In the middle of these discussions, all MLAs of the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) elected Sunetra Pawar as their legislature party leader.
Just two days after Ajit Pawar’s death, on 31 January 2026, Sunetra Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Minister. With this, she became the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. She has been given charge of excise duty, sports and youth welfare, and minority development departments. The finance portfolio earlier held by Ajit Pawar will now be handled by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
While some have questioned her political experience, Sunetra Pawar comes from a strong political background. Her father Bajirao Patil was a freedom fighter and senior leader, and her brother Padamsinh Patil is a former cabinet minister, former MP from Osmanabad, and a founding member of the NCP.
Sunetra Pawar studied commerce and married Ajit Pawar in 1985. She gained public attention through her social work in Kathewadi village, where she led cleanliness drives and helped turn it into Maharashtra’s first eco-village. She has worked extensively on water conservation, biodiversity, and farmer welfare in drought-prone regions of western Maharashtra.
In 2008, she played a key role in setting up the Baramati Hi-Tech Textile Park, which provides jobs to around 15,000 people, mostly women. Though she once said she was not interested in politics, she contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Baramati against Supriya Sule but lost. She was later nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
Sunetra Pawar has also faced controversy in the past, including an ED probe linked to the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank case. However, she received a clean chit from Mumbai Police in 2024.
As Deputy Chief Minister and NCP legislative leader, Sunetra now faces major challenges. She is known to be soft-spoken, unlike Ajit Pawar’s strict style, and will need to work closely with senior leaders like Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, and Chhagan Bhujbal. Many have criticised the timing of her appointment, calling it too early.
Meanwhile, another discussion emerged around the protocol followed at Ajit Pawar’s cremation. The order in which leaders offered wreaths raised eyebrows, with BJP leaders seen ahead of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. Experts believe this could be a political signal from the BJP about its control over Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, amid fears of a possible merger with Sharad Pawar’s camp.

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