Sunetra Pawar

Sunetra Ajit Pawar (née Patil; born 18 October 1963) is an Indian politician serving as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra alongside Eknath Shinde. She is the first woman to hold the office. She also serves as the president of the Nationalist Congress Party and has previously represented Maharashtra in the Rajya Sabha. She is the widow of her predecessor and husband, Ajit Pawar, who was killed in a plane crash in 2026.

Early and personal life

Sunetra was born in Ter, Maharashtra on 18 October, 1963. She is the sister of Padamsinh Bajirao Patil a former senior cabinet minister and who served more than 20 years in Maharashtra government as minister and Member of Parliament representing Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha. A member of the Pawar family, she was married to Ajit Pawar from 1985 until his death in 2026. She has two sons, Jay and Parth Pawar.

Political career

Sunetra entered active electoral politics during the 2024 Indian general election. She contested from the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency as a candidate of the Nationalist Congress Party against her sister-in-law and incumbent MP Supriya Sule. She lost by 150,000 votes.

Although she was unsuccessful in the general election, she was subsequently elected as a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra in June 2024.

Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra

On 31 January 2026, following the death of her husband and sitting deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar, Sunetra was elected as the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party. She was sworn in as the deputy chief minister later that day, becoming the first woman to hold the office in the state's history. She was also given the charge of State Excise, Sports and Youth Welfare, Minorities Development and Aukaf ministries.

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