Sunetra Pawar Sworn in as Maharashtra's First Female Deputy CM Amid Family Tensions

Mumbai: Sunetra Pawar, 62, was sworn in as the first woman deputy chief minister of Maharashtra on Saturday evening, replacing her husband Ajit Pawar just three days after his death in an air crash. The ceremony had an emotional touch, with workers of Ajit’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) raising slogans of ‘Ajit Pawar Amar Rahe’ and ‘Ekach Vaada, Ajit Dada’ even as she was being sworn in by state governor Acharya Devvrat.

In a sign that things were still uneasy within the larger Pawar family days after they stood united at Ajit Pawar’s funeral, Ajit Pawar’s uncle and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said he was not informed of the swearing-in.

An hour after the ceremony, Sunetra was allocated all the portfolios held by her husband except the crucial finance portfolio which currently vests with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Sunetra will hold state excise, sports and youth welfare, and minority development and Aukaf.

The finance portfolio is part of NCP’s quota in the Mahayuti alliance, raising questions about whether BJP will now take it over. However, BJP sources said Fadnavis was temporarily holding the portfolio, and a final decision would be taken after the budget session of the state legislature. The budget will be presented by Fadnavis.

NCP legislators want Sunetra to handle all roles handled by Ajit. Since the state budget session will take place in 20 days, NCP had asked CM Devendra Fadnavis to hold the finance portfolio.

Sunetra Pawar is a Rajya Sabha MP and will now have to be elected as an MLA or MLC within six months. She is likely to contest the bypoll to Baramati assembly seat which has fallen vacant after Ajit Pawar’s death.

Addressing criticism made by a section of politicians about the “haste” in appointing Sunetra, senior party politician Anil Patil said, “It is the need of the moment. There was no choice.” NCP members said they needed to convey a message of stability, especially since zilla parishad polls are looming.

NCP still has to settle the question of who will replace Ajit as party chief. Several legislators said this responsibility should also go to Sunetra. “We feel she should get all the roles held by Ajit, including role of national party chief, guardian minister of Beed and Pune, and his portfolios,” MLA Prakash Solanke said.

Earlier in the day, Sunetra was unanimously elected as head of NCP legislature party and empowered to issue a whip and take decisions regarding the party’s work. She was elected by 45 of 48 NCP legislators who were present. State food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal moved both proposals. They were backed by senior politicians Hasan Mushrif, Dilip Walse Patil, Sanjay Bansode, and Narhari Zirwal.