Sunetra Pawar was sworn in on Saturday as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, becoming the first woman to hold the post, three days after her husband Ajit Pawar’s death.

Her name was proposed by Chhagan Bhujbal and backed by 45 party leaders, including Dilip Walse Patil, at a meeting in the Legislative Building where she was elected the NCP legislature party leader.

Currently a Rajya Sabha MP, Pawar is not a member of either House of the Maharashtra Legislature and will be required to secure membership within six months.

Meanwhile, her son Parth Pawar is speculated to replace her in the Rajya Sabha after she assumes office. Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash in Baramati on Wednesday morning (January 28, 2026), along with four others on board.