Sunetra Pawar on Saturday created history by becoming Maharashtra’s first woman deputy chief minister, marking a significant political moment for the Nationalist Congress Party. She takes over the post following the death of her husband, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who was killed in a plane crash earlier this week.
A Rajya Sabha MP, Sunetra Pawar was unanimously chosen as the leader of the NCP legislature party by the party’s MLAs. She is scheduled to be sworn in at 5 pm today and will be required to secure election to the Maharashtra legislature within six months to retain the post.
Born into a political family, Sunetra Pawar is the daughter of former Maharashtra minister Padamsinh Bajirao Patil. She made her electoral debut in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but lost the Baramati seat to her sister-in-law, Supriya Sule, by a margin of around 1.5 lakh votes. She was subsequently nominated to the Rajya Sabha in July 2025 by the NCP and the ruling alliance in the state.
Financial disclosures submitted by Sunetra Pawar ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls show that her declared income for the 2022-23 financial year stood at ₹4,22,21,010, or approximately ₹4.2 crore, as per her Income Tax Return.
According to the same affidavit, her total assets were valued at ₹1,27,59,98,205, or about ₹127 crore. Movable assets accounted for ₹30.3 crore, while immovable assets were pegged at ₹97 crore.
Her declared movable assets included ₹7.3 lakh in cash, motor vehicles worth ₹86 lakh, bank and financial institution deposits of ₹5.3 crore, bonds, debentures and shares valued at ₹66 lakh, and jewellery worth ₹1.3 crore. The jewellery included silver utensils weighing 35 kg valued at ₹24 lakh, gold ornaments weighing 1,030 grams valued at ₹51 lakh as per 2024 estimates, and 28-carat diamond jewellery worth ₹24 lakh. Other assets, including interests and claims, were disclosed at ₹8.4 crore.
The affidavit also listed her shareholdings in multiple entities such as Baramati Agro Ltd, Venkeys (India) Limited, VIA Creations Pvt Ltd and Baramati Urban Co Op Bank Ltd.
On the immovable assets front, Sunetra Pawar declared agricultural land valued at ₹13 crore and non-agricultural land worth ₹37 crore. Her residential properties included a ₹4 crore flat at Jhiroji Apartment in Kalyani Nagar, a ₹10 crore flat at Sindh Housing Society in Pune, and two additional properties, including one at Mumbai’s Shubhada Apartment. The combined value of her residential buildings was declared at ₹35 crore.
Her liabilities, as per the affidavit, included loans from banks and financial institutions amounting to ₹16 crore.
Sunetra Pawar’s elevation was proposed by senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal and supported by other senior party leaders, following which she was unanimously elected as the party’s legislative leader.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.
Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.
