Sunetra Pawar to Become Maharashtra's First Female Deputy Chief Minister After Being Elected NCP Legislative Party Leader

Mumbai. Sunetra Pawar, wife of the late leader Ajit Pawar, is set to become the new Deputy Chief Minister in Maharashtra. Upon being elected as the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party's legislative wing, she will become the first woman in Maharashtra's history to hold the post of Deputy Chief Minister.

Sunetra was unanimously elected as the leader during a meeting of the NCP legislative assembly members and legislative council members held on Saturday at 2 PM. Senior leader Dilip Walse Patil proposed Sunetra's name at the meeting. The newly elected Deputy Chief Minister Pawar is scheduled to take the oath of office and secrecy at 5 PM today.

Sunetra, who is currently a Rajya Sabha MP, will have to resign from her parliamentary post before assuming the responsibilities of Deputy Chief Minister. According to Article 190(1) of the Indian Constitution, no person can simultaneously be a member of Parliament and a state government minister. Therefore, she will take the oath only after submitting her resignation to the Vice President and it being accepted. Furthermore, she will be constitutionally bound to win an election to either the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council within six months of becoming a minister.

This post had been vacant since the demise of the then Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28. Sunetra accepted this responsibility following consultations with Ajit's electoral strategist organization and party leaders.

Meanwhile, NCP founder Sharad Pawar, reacting for the first time since Ajit's demise, stated that the merger of both factions of the party was Ajit's wish and that it should now be fulfilled. On the other hand, it is reported that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is likely to present the state budget.