Maharashtra Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar will handle state excise, sports & youth welfare, and minority development ministries. The finance and planning portfolios, previously managed by the late Ajit Pawar, are not part of her allocation, marking a shift in key responsibilities
Sunetra Pawar takes oath in the presence of Governor Acharya Devvrat (centre), CM Devendra Fadnavis (extreme right) and Eknath Shinde. PIC/ASHISH RAJE
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Sunetra Ajit Pawar will oversee the state excise department, sports and youth welfare, and minority development and Aukaf, following the approval of her portfolio by Governor Acharya Devvrat. Notably, the allocation does not include the finance and planning ministries, which were previously managed by the late Ajit Pawar, signalling a shift in key responsibilities.
The governor’s approval, conveyed in a letter to CM Devendra Fadnavis dated January 31, 2026, formalises the distribution of these ministries to Sunetra Pawar, who assumed office on Saturday.
Sunetra Pawar becomes Maharashtra's first deputy CM
Sunetra Pawar made history as the first woman to hold the post of Maharashtra Deputy CM. She replaced her husband, Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash on Wednesday.
The oath-taking ceremony was attended by CM Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, other Bharatiya Janata Party ministers, and senior leaders of the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, including Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, and Chhagan Bhujbal.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
