Sunetra Pawar on Tuesday formally assumed charge as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister at the state secretariat Mantralaya, marking a significant moment in the state’s political landscape just 13 days after the death of her husband and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Accompanied by senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders and her elder son Parth Pawar, Sunetra Pawar took her seat in the deputy chief minister’s office, a moment described by party leaders as both solemn and symbolic. The transition comes amid a period of mourning for the Pawar family and the NCP following Ajit Pawar’s death in a plane crash in Baramati, Pune district, on January 28.

Senior NCP leaders, including Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde, were present during the assumption of charge, underscoring the party’s show of unity and support. After taking office, Sunetra Pawar also visited the NCP office in Mumbai, where she met party MLAs and ministers before returning to the Mantralaya.

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Later in the day, the deputy chief minister is scheduled to attend a cabinet meeting, the first to be held since Ajit Pawar’s death. She will also participate in the business advisory committee meeting related to the upcoming February 23 budget session of the Maharashtra legislature.

Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as Maharashtra’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister on January 31. She has been assigned key portfolios, including excise, sports, minority welfare and the Wakf departments, and has also been appointed guardian minister for Beed and Pune districts.

Earlier on Tuesday, she arrived in Mumbai from Pune and offered prayers at the Siddhivinayak temple and at Dr B R Ambedkar’s memorial at Chaityabhoomi in the Dadar area. Her assumption of office comes shortly after the NCP’s electoral success in the Pune Zilla Parishad polls held on February 7, where the party retained control by winning 51 of 73 seats in its alliance with Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP), signalling continued political strength amid leadership changes.

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