Minutes after being sworn in as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, Sunetra Pawar on Saturday vowed to carry forward the legacy of her late husband, Ajit Pawar, and continue working for the state. She described herself as “overwhelmed with emotions” as she took on the responsibility.
Sunetra Pawar Takes Office After Husband’s Death
Sunetra Pawar said that Ajit Pawar had instilled in her a commitment to serve farmers, laborers, women, youth, and marginalized communities. She stated she will remain steadfast in the principles of ‘Shiv-Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar’ as she begins her duties.
“Though Dada’s untimely departure has caused a mountain of grief to crash upon my heart, the true support I have is the duty-consciousness, the strength to struggle, and the commitment to the people that he taught me,” she said in a social media post on X. “I will continue to work tirelessly with honesty to realise the just, egalitarian, and developed Maharashtra of his dreams.”
Sunetra Pawar was unanimously chosen as the leader of the legislative party of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) before being sworn in. During the ceremony, she wore a white saree as chants of “Ajit Dada amar rahein” – meaning “Ajit Dada lives forever” – filled the air.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were present at the swearing-in ceremony. No other members of the Pawar family attended.
In addition to her role as deputy chief minister, Sunetra Pawar has been assigned portfolios including state excise, sports and youth welfare, minority development, and Aukaf.
Ajit Pawar died on Wednesday in a plane crash while traveling from Mumbai to Baramati, along with his personal security officer and three cabin crew members. The aircraft crashed while attempting to land at the Baramati airfield around 8:48 a.m. Investigations are underway by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.
Ajit Pawar had served as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra for six terms across multiple governments, making him the longest-serving individual in that position non-consecutively. He served under the administrations of Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray, and Eknath Shinde.
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