Sunetra Pawar Becomes Maharashtra’s First Woman Deputy CM, NCP Chief: Will She Merge NCP?

Last Updated:January 31, 2026, 19:49 IST

Amid buzz over NCP merger, Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule mum on Sunetra Pawar's oath-taking; PM Modi, Rohit Pawar congratulate new deputy CM; Raj Thackeray questions NCP's functioning

Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as the deputy CM of Maharashtra on Saturday. (PTI)

Sunetra Pawar, the wife of deceased ist Congress Party (NCP) president Ajit Pawar, was on Saturday sworn in as the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

The 62-year-old Pawar, who has resigned as the Rajya Sabha MP, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Acharya Devvrat at a brief ceremony at the Lok Bhavan in Mumbai.

Earlier in the day, she was elected as the state NCP legislature party leader.

Ajit Pawar, who held the Deputy Chief Minister’s post as well as the finance portfolio in the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena-NCP ‘Mahayuti’ government, died in an air crash in Baramati on January 28.

The swearing-in

Slogans like ‘Ajit dada Amar Rahe’ (Ajit dada is immortal) were raised as Sunetra Pawar rose to take the oath. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, NCP leaders Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and Chhagan Bhujbal, among others, were present at the ceremony.

Sunetra Pawar’s younger son Jay Pawar and his wife were also present.

She is not a member of either house of the state legislature, and is expected to contest the byelection to the Baramati assembly constituency represented by her late husband. She will have to become a member of either house of the Maharashtra assembly within six months.

ALSO READ | Sunetra Pawar Becomes Maharashtra Deputy CM Without Being MLA: Law Allows It With A Six-Month Rider

Even though from a political family, the low-profile Sunetra Pawar made her electoral debut only in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, facing off against her sister-in-law and incumbent NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, in Baramati, the home turf of the Pawar family, after the 2023 split in the party. After losing to Sule, she was elected to the Rajya Sabha.

According to sources, Sunetra Pawar was initially not ready to take up the post, but agreed as she felt it was her responsibility to carry forward her husband’s vision as the head of the party.

How the Pawars reacted

Sharad Pawar on Saturday morning said there had been no discussion with Sunetra Pawar over her oath-taking. However, he noted that Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare were senior leaders of their own NCP faction and it was their party’s right to decide the course of action.

NCP SCP MP Supriya Sule met Asha Pawar, mother of the late Ajit Pawar, at her residence in Katewadi Village She said, “Since the budget session is tomorrow, I am going to Delhi. I just met with Asha Kaki. I took her permission and asked if I should go to Delhi for the budget session. She said yes, it’s the country’s budget, and you should go there. I am the NCP’s floor leader, so my presence there is necessary."

Regarding Sunetra Pawar’s oath-taking ceremony and other questions, she said, “Ram Krishna Hari."

Rohit Pawar, who stayed with the Sharad Pawar group after the split, posted on X: “I am delighted that Hon. Sunetrakaku has taken the oath as the state’s first female Deputy Chief Minister. Truth be told, no one can truly take Hon. Ajitdada’s place, but at least in the form of Sunetrakaku, we can see Ajitdada there somehow..! With a mountain of grief weighing on our heads and all of us immersed in mourning, we don’t even know how to offer them congratulations..!

How other parties reacted

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X: “Congratulations to Sunetra Pawar ji on beginning her tenure as the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. I am confident that she will work tirelessly for the welfare of the people of the state and will carry forward the dreams of the late Ajitdada Pawar."

Defence minister Rajnath Singh wrote on X: “Warm wishes to Smt. Sunetra Pawar ji as she takes oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. I am confident, she will devote herself wholeheartedly to the welfare of the people of Maharashtra and carry forward the spirit of public service upheld by late Shri Ajit Pawar."

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray posted on X: “Maharashtra’s politics has undergone a complete upheaval in the recent past; honestly, one doesn’t even feel like commenting on it. But still, one will have to speak on the events unfolding throughout the day today. A party like the ist Congress Party, which is truly rooted in Marathi soil, and its working president should be a proper Marathi person, a Patil perhaps, but not a Patel!"

What about Ajit Pawar’s portfolios? Why Sunetra Pawar didn’t get finance department

Ajit Pawar held five key portfolios as the deputy CM — finance, planning, state excise, sports and youth welfare (additional charge), minority development and Aukaf (additional charge). Sunetra Pawar has been assigned the state excise, sports and youth welfare and minority development and Aukaf portfolios.

While Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has retained the other two critical portfolios to ensure stability ahead of the upcoming legislative session, the NCP said there is an understanding in Mahayuti over it.

ALSO READ | Why Sunetra Pawar Agreed To Take Oath As Maharashtra Deputy CM Amid NCP Merger Buzz

NCP sources said Sunetra Pawar has not been assigned the Finance Department as she does not have prior administrative experience, at a time when the state is heading into a crucial budget session. The Maharashtra Budget is scheduled to be presented in first week of March. With the budget session just around the corner, handing over such a key portfolio to someone without administrative exposure would have been a challenging call, sources indicated. According to sources in the state government, Ajit Pawar has already completed most of the groundwork for the upcoming budget. In such a scenario, bringing in a new minister at the last minute — especially when final touches and policy tweaks are required — could have complicated the process.

Sources clarified that this arrangement is only interim. After the budget is presented, the Finance and Planning departments are expected to return to the ist Congress Party, as per the existing understanding within the ruling alliance.

The NCP merger

Sunetra Pawar now faces an uphill task of holding the NCP together and managing coalition politics while working with the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. But her immediate challenge will be to decide whether to go ahead with the much-anticipated merger of the two NCP factions.

Ajit Pawar loyalists believe that post merger, Sharad Pawar’s influence would be undeniable, given his stature. With the history of the NCP split and the complicated equations stemming from their allegiance for rival camps, Ajit Pawar’s loyalists ensured that oath-taking took precedence over merger.

The two factions had contested the Maharashtra civic polls in alliance, with Ajit Pawar even apparently revealing his merger ambitions to select journalists.

ALSO READ | NCP News Live Updates HERE

Sharad Pawar claimed that the reunification of the two NCP factions was a long-held wish of Ajit Pawar. “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.

“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," sources said.

Among the hurdles would be the fact that the NCP-Sharad Pawar faction is part of the Opposition alliance with the Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackearay).

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