Sunetra Pawar To Assume Charge As Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Today, Attend 1st Cabinet Meeting In Mumbai

Mumbai: Sunetra Pawar, the widow of late Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Ajit Pawar, is set to formally assume charge as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister on Tuesday and will attend the state cabinet meeting scheduled for the afternoon in Mumbai, marking her first official engagement in the role.

Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as deputy chief minister on January 31, days after Ajit Pawar lost his life in a tragic plane crash on January 28. Following her induction into the cabinet, she was reportedly allocated all the portfolios previously handled by her husband. She has also been allotted ‘Devgiri’, Ajit Pawar’s favoured official bungalow at Malabar Hill, as her official residence.

Sunetra To Seek Blessings Before Assuming Charge

According to reports, Sunetra Pawar will begin her day with a visit to the Siddhivinayak temple in Prabhadevi, seeking blessings before taking charge of her new responsibilities. She will then pay homage to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar, the cremation site of the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. Senior NCP leaders, including national working president Praful Patel, state unit chief Sunil Tatkare and several other party functionaries, are expected to accompany her.

“After completing these visits, she will formally take charge as the new deputy chief minister,” a senior NCP office-bearer said as quoted by Hindustan Times. “She will also attend her first cabinet meeting later in the day,” the leader added.

Ajit Pawar Killed In Tragic Plane Crash

Ajit Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati on January 28 to campaign for the Zilla Parishad elections when the aircraft he was flying in met with an accident. The plane reportedly failed to land at the Baramati airport during its first attempt. During the second attempt, it lost control, flipped mid-air and crashed into an open field near the airstrip.

The crash proved fatal for all on board. Those killed in the accident included Ajit Pawar, his personal security officer Vidip Jadhav, pilot-in-command Captain Sumit Kapur, first officer Captain Shambhavi Pathak and flight attendant Pinky Mali. The incident sent shockwaves across the state’s political landscape, with leaders across party lines expressing grief over the sudden loss.

Meanwhile, NCP leaders have indicated that Sunetra Pawar may soon take on a larger role within the party. According to senior functionaries, she is being considered as a potential successor to Ajit Pawar as the new NCP president, a move that could majorly reshape the party’s leadership structure in the coming weeks. She is also likely to visit Delhi soon to meet PM Modi and Amit Shah.

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