Sunetra Pawar sworn in as first woman Deputy CM of Maharashtra after husband Ajit Pawar’s death

Sunetra Pawar takes oath as first woman Deputy CM of Maharashtra

• Sunetra Pawar sworn in as Maharashtra's first woman Deputy Chief Minister
• She steps in after Ajit Pawar's death to continue his political legacy
• NCP may pursue merger talks between Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar factions

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Sunetra Pawar, wife of the deceased Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, took oath on Saturday and became the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. She took the oath in Marathi with chants of 'Ajit Dada Amar Rahein' at the Lok Bhavan in Mumbai. Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat administered her oath as Deputy CM in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and other leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the newly sworn-in deputy CM of Maharashtra noting that she is the first woman to hold this responsibility. PM Modi expressed confidence that that new deputy CM will work "tirelessly for the welfare of the people of the state and fulfil the vision of the late Ajitdada Pawar."

"Best wishes to Sunetra Pawar Ji as she begins her tenure as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the first woman to hold this responsibility. I am confident she will work tirelessly for the welfare of the people of the state and fulfil the vision of the late Ajitdada Pawar," PM Modi wrote on X.

In the aftermath of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s death, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has moved quickly to ensure continuity within the faction he led.

According to party sources, his widow and Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar felt compelled to step into a leadership role, despite personal hesitation.

“When Ajit Pawar rebelled, he was alone…Sunetra Pawar, as a wife, considered it her duty to protect the party that Ajit Pawar had built through years of hard work. Even in grief, she felt it was her responsibility to carry forward her husband’s work,” sources have been quoted to say.

They added that her initial reluctance gave way to a sense of obligation. “Initially, Sunetra Pawar was not ready for this. But she felt that if she did not step in, Ajit Pawar’s dream would remain incomplete…Ajit Pawar’s vision would be left unfulfilled. With a heavy heart, she agreed.”

Within the party, there is also an understanding that any future reunification with the rival NCP (Sharad Pawar) (NCP-SP) faction would inevitably see Sharad Pawar’s influence remain strong, given his stature and legacy.

Against this backdrop, Ajit Pawar’s loyalists felt that formalising Sunetra Pawar’s elevation without delay was essential.

Swearing-in and legislature party backing

Sunetra Pawar has now been sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, becoming the first woman to hold the post. The ceremony took place at Lok Bhavan at 5 pm on Saturday. Governor Acharya Devvrat, who had been in Mussoorie, arrived in Mumbai ahead of the oath-taking.

VIDEO | Mumbai: Sunetra Pawar (@SunetraA_Pawar) takes oath as Maharashtra Deputy CM, at Lok Bhavan.#Maharashtra

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/Epyjl5ubT5 — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 31, 2026

Earlier in the day, the NCP’s legislature party met in Mumbai and named Sunetra Pawar as its leader. Senior leaders, including Party Working President Praful Patel and State President Sunil Tatkare, later met at Vidhan Bhavan to formally propose her name.

Tatkare told reporters, “Our legislature party members will meet at 2 pm today. The Group leader (Leader of the Legislative Party) will be elected. We hope that, keeping in mind the sentiments of people, Sunetra Pawar will be elected as the leader. After that, NCP members will meet the CM with an official letter, and then he will make a decision.”

He added, “NCP MLAs, MPs, and leaders have collectively made a decision regarding Sunetra Pawar,” and said further details would be shared after the meeting.

Sunetra Pawar, known for her work in sustainable development, environmental conservation and rural empowerment, will have to resign from her Rajya Sabha seat following her elevation.

Merger talks and political signals

Ajit Pawar’s death has also revived speculation about a possible merger between the two NCP factions -- the one led by him and the NCP-SP headed by Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule. The factions had recently contested Maharashtra civic polls together, and Ajit Pawar had apparently conveyed his reunification intentions to select journalists.

Sharad Pawar said on Saturday that bringing the two sides together had long been Ajit Pawar’s wish. “It was Ajit Dada’s wish that the two NCP factions should come together. We also desire that his wish be fulfilled…The talks were positive…Ajit Pawar wanted to announce the merger on February 12,” he said.

Sources noted that the family decided to prioritise organisational stability first. “Ajit Pawar’s family decided to first focus on the party and then talk about a merger. That is why Sunetra Pawar and her family decided to go ahead with the oath-taking ceremony first. Reports suggest that they will now move forward with merger talks with other parties.

Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar said there had been no discussion with Sunetra Pawar about her elevation, but stressed that leaders like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare were free to chart their party’s course.