Sunetra Pawar, wife of Ajit Pawar, to take oath as Maharashtra Deputy CM today
Sunetra Pawar will take oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Saturday at 5 pm. Sunetra will hold the Excise and Sports portfolios, as per sources.
Sunetra Pawar, wife of Ajit Pawar, who was killed in a plane crash three days ago, will be sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra at 5 pm on Saturday, sources said. She has accepted the proposal for her elevation and will continue to hold the Excise and Sports portfolios in the state government.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), an ally in the ruling Mahayuti alliance, unanimously elected her as the leader of its Legislature Party earlier in the day.
According to party sources, the Finance portfolio will temporarily remain with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as the Budget session is scheduled for March. The department is expected to be allocated to the NCP at a later stage.
Senior party leaders proposed Sunetra Pawar’s appointment as Deputy Chief Minister to provide direction to the party ahead of the Pune Zilla Parishad elections scheduled for February 7, sources added.
The proposal was discussed within the Pawar family, following which Sunetra Pawar agreed to take on the role. The oath-taking ceremony on Saturday evening will formally mark her entry into the state’s top executive leadership alongside the Chief Minister.
Earlier in the day, speaking to reporters at the NCP office, senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had conveyed that he had no objection if her swearing-in ceremony was held on Saturday itself.
Ajit Pawar, 66, died on Wednesday morning after the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district. The chartered plane crash-landed near the runway threshold, killing all five people on board, including his personal security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.
On Thursday, Ajit Pawar’s last rites were conducted with full state honours at the Vidya Pratishthan ground in Baramati, where his sons lit the funeral pyre and performed the final rituals.
Several prominent leaders attended the funeral and paid their last respects, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar, and actor Riteish Deshmukh.
Sunetra Pawar, wife of Ajit Pawar, who was killed in a plane crash three days ago, will be sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra at 5 pm on Saturday, sources said. She has accepted the proposal for her elevation and will continue to hold the Excise and Sports portfolios in the state government.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), an ally in the ruling Mahayuti alliance, unanimously elected her as the leader of its Legislature Party earlier in the day.
According to party sources, the Finance portfolio will temporarily remain with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as the Budget session is scheduled for March. The department is expected to be allocated to the NCP at a later stage.
Senior party leaders proposed Sunetra Pawar’s appointment as Deputy Chief Minister to provide direction to the party ahead of the Pune Zilla Parishad elections scheduled for February 7, sources added.
The proposal was discussed within the Pawar family, following which Sunetra Pawar agreed to take on the role. The oath-taking ceremony on Saturday evening will formally mark her entry into the state’s top executive leadership alongside the Chief Minister.
Earlier in the day, speaking to reporters at the NCP office, senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had conveyed that he had no objection if her swearing-in ceremony was held on Saturday itself.
Ajit Pawar, 66, died on Wednesday morning after the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district. The chartered plane crash-landed near the runway threshold, killing all five people on board, including his personal security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.
On Thursday, Ajit Pawar’s last rites were conducted with full state honours at the Vidya Pratishthan ground in Baramati, where his sons lit the funeral pyre and performed the final rituals.
Several prominent leaders attended the funeral and paid their last respects, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar, and actor Riteish Deshmukh.