31 January,2026 07:50 PM IST | Mumbai | Sanjeev Shivadekar
Sunetra Pawar took oath as Maharashtra Deputy CM in Lok Bhavan on Saturday. PIC/ASHISH RAJE
Hours after taking oath as Maharashtra's first woman deputy chief minister (CM), Sunetra Pawar shared her first reaction on her X handle, dedicating her new role to continuing the work and ideals of her late husband, Ajit Pawar.
In her post, she said she would work for farmers, labourers, women, youth, and marginalised communities, following the principles of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shahu Maharaj, Jyotiba Phule, and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. She acknowledged the grief caused by Ajit Pawar's sudden death, describing it as "a mountain of sorrow", but said the people's support gives her strength to continue his work.
Sunetra Pawar wrote that she would strive to realise "the just, equality-based, and developed Maharashtra" envisioned by her husband, and pledged to carry forward his ideals with honesty and dedication.
She took oath at Lok Bhavan, Mumbai, administered by Governor Acharya Devvrat, in the presence of CM Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and other ministers and senior leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash near Baramati on Wednesday.