Late Ajit Parwar's wife Sunetra swears in as Maharastra's Deputy CM

Sunetra Pawar, the wife of the late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, is set to be sworn in as the state’s new Deputy Chief Minister on January 31, 2026, marking a significant moment in Maharashtra politics. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has backed her nomination following the sudden death of her husband in a plane crash earlier this week.

Today, the NCP’s legislature party convened in Mumbai to elect Sunetra Pawar as its leader, a formal step before she assumes the deputy CM post. Party leaders are expected to complete the internal process by early afternoon, with the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for 5 p.m. at Lok Bhavan. Sunetra Pawar will become Maharashtra’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister, filling the vacancy left by her husband’s untimely passing. She currently serves as a Rajya Sabha MP and unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Baramati before her entry into the upper house.Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has voiced support for the NCP’s decision, saying the Mahayuti alliance will back the party’s choice for the deputy CM post. However, senior NCP leader Sharad Pawar has stated he learned of the developments through media reports, suggesting internal communication gaps within the party leadership.

The appointment comes just days after Ajit Pawar’s death, and political observers say today’s move aims to stabilise the party’s position in government ahead of upcoming legislative responsibilities.