Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Saturday was allotted three portfolios, the excise department, sports and youth welfare, and welfare and minorities development, which were once held by her late husband Ajit Pawar. However, the 62-year-old was not given the finance department, a portfolio which was also held by Ajit Pawar, and it is expected that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will present the next budget in the Maharashtra Assembly.
This comes hours after Sunetra was sworn in as the deputy chief minister. The swearing in ceremony was held at the Lok Bhavan in Mumbai and oath was administered by Governor Acharya Devvrat. The ceremony, which was held amid slogans like "Ajit dada Amar Rahe", was attended by Fadnavis, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and other ministers and Mahayuti leaders.
'Will work tirelessly, honestly'
After taking oath, Sunetra said she will continue to work 'tirelessly' and 'honestly' for the people of Maharashtra. In an X post in Marathi, the deputy chief minister also remembered Ajit Pawar and said he had given the mantra of living one's entire life for farmers, laborers, women, youth, and deprived sections. She also thanked all those who supported her following Ajit Pawar's death.
"Though the untimely passing of Dada has caused a mountain of sorrow to crash upon my heart, the true support I have is the duty-bound commitment, the strength to struggle, and the bond with the people that he taught me. I will continue to work tirelessly and honestly to realize the just, equality-based, and developed Maharashtra of his dreams," Sunetra said.
Sunetra's rise in Maharashtra politics
Earlier in the day, Sunetra was made the legislature party leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). She also resigned as member of Rajya Sabha and will most likely contest from the Baramati Assembly constituency that has been left vacant after Ajit Pawar's death. Many NCP leaders also want Sunetra to be appointed as party's national president, another post held by her late husband.
Interestingly, NCP(SP) Sharad Pawar said he was 'not consulted' for Sunetra's swearing in ceremony. The former union minister's remark is significant as there were murmurs that the two NCP factions may reunite following a split in 2023. Sharad Pawar said the reunification announcement was likely to take place on February 12, but NCP's Maharashtra unit president Sunil Dattatray Tatkare has denied the claim.
ALSO READ - Sunetra Pawar's quick rise to Maharashtra Deputy CM and why Sharad Pawar was 'not consulted' | Analysis
