Sunetra Pawar elected NCP legislative party leader, to be sworn in as Maharashtra Deputy CM

Mumbai: Sunetra Pawar, the wife of late Ajit Pawar was unanimously elected as the Nationalist Congress Party legislative party leader on Saturday.

Sunetra Pawar (62) is set to take over as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.

The oath of office and secrecy would be administered by Maharashtra governor Acharya Devvrat at the Lok Bhavan.

The NCP legislature party meeting was held at the Vidhan Bhavan complex with the party’s leadership and MLAs and MLCs in attendance.

Sunetra Pawar is currently a NCP Rajya Sabha member.

Ajit Pawar (66) died on 28 January 2026 in a plane crash in his hometown in Baramati in the Pune district.

Sunetra Pawar arrived in Mumbai in the wee hours of Saturday.

After the untimely death of Ajit Pawar, who was also the NCP president, senior party leaders wanted Sunetra Pawar to become the NCP legislature party leader and deputy chief minister.

Sunetra Pawar was accompanied by younger son Jay Pawar when she entered the Vidhan Bhavan complex.

At the meeting, the NCP legislature party condoled the death of Ajit Pawar, who was the guiding force of the party.

Veteran leader Dilip Walse-Patil proposed the name of Sunetra Pawar as the legislature party leader which was seconded by minister Chhagan Bhujbal.

NCP working president Praful Patel and NCP state president Sunil Tatkare conducted the meeting.