Mumbai: Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar will be sworn in as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Saturday evening, even as Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar distanced himself from the decision, saying he had “no idea” about the swearing-in plan. According to sources, the ceremony is scheduled at 5 pm at Raj Bhavan, where she will take oath as the state’s first woman deputy chief minister following the death of her husband and former NCP chief Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28.
Speaking to reporters in Baramati, Sharad Pawar said he came to know of Sunetra’s elevation only through media reports and was not consulted on the move. “I am not aware of the swearing-in. I didn’t even know it was scheduled for today… There was no discussion with me about it. Her party may have taken the decision,” he remarked, naming Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare as those who “might have taken the initiative” within the NCP.
Sunetra Pawar, 62, is expected to continue handling the excise and sports portfolios in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government, while the crucial finance department will remain with the chief minister at least through the upcoming budget session before a possible reallocation, sources said. The BJP has already indicated that the ruling Mahayuti alliance will back whatever decision Ajit Pawar’s family and party take on filling the vacant deputy CM post.
Sources said the NCP is meeting Saturday afternoon to formally elect Sunetra as leader of the legislature party, paving the way for her induction into the cabinet. Her rise comes amid intense churn in Maharashtra politics, with both factions of the split NCP recalibrating their strategies ahead of the next assembly elections. Party insiders say her elevation is aimed at ensuring continuity of Ajit Pawar’s political base, even as Sharad Pawar’s sharp “no idea” comment underlines the deepening rift in the Pawar family and the broader NCP fold, sources added.
