Sunetra Pawar formally takes charge as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister

Mangalore Today News Network

Mumbai, Feb 10, 2026: Ten days after she was sworn in as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister, Sunetra Pawar formally took charge of her office in Mantralaya, the state secretariat in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Sunetra Pawar is the first woman deputy chief minister of the state.

Sunetra Pawar heads multiple  portfolios — State Excise Duty, Sports and Youth Affairs, Minorities Development and Aukaf.

Sunetra Pawar (62) is the wife of former deputy chief minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash in his hometown Baramati in Pune district on 28 January.

Three days later, on 31 January, Sunetra Pawar was unanimously elected as the NCP legislature party leader and sworn in as the deputy chief minister by governor Acharya Devvrat in Mumbai.

After that she left for Baramati.

Earlier, she had visited Karad in Satara district to pay tributes to late Yashwantrao Chavan. Besides, she also visited the house of late Constable Vidip Jadhav, the PSO of Ajit Pawar, who also died in the plane crash.

In fact, on Monday, the 13th day rituals of Ajit Pawar, was held in Baramati.

She left Baramati on Monday evening and en route visited the Ruby Hall Clinic, where NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar is recuperating following throat infection and breathing issues.

She reached her bungalow Devgiri around midnight in Mumbai and on Tuesday morning visited Chaityabhoomi to pay tributes to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.

She also visited the famous Siddhivinayak temple and sought the blessings of Lord Ganesh.

From there she drove straight to Nariman Point, where she visited the NCP state headquarters.

She was accompanied by NCP working president Praful Patel and party’s state unit president Sunil Tatkare.

Thereafter, she entered Mantralaya, and assumed charge at her office in presence of top bureaucrats and her team.

In Mantralaya, she paid tributes to legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Rajmata Jijau, legendary social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.

During the day, Sunetra Pawar will attended the weekly Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

She will also attend the Vidhan Bhavan complex to attend the Business Advisory Committee meeting ahead of the Budget Session of Maharashtra Legislature.

She is expected to tour New Delhi soon where she would meet prime minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah.