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Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra on January 31, 2026, making her the first woman to hold the post. She assumed office alongside Chief Minister Eknath Shinde after being elected leader of the Nationalist Congress Party. Her elevation came days after the death of her husband and sitting deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in an air crash. She was also appointed Minister in charge of excise duty, sports and youth welfare, minority development, and Aukaf.
Early Life and Family Background
Sunetra Pawar was born on 18 October 1963 in Ter village of Dharashiv district, earlier known as Osmanabad. She belongs to a politically active family from the Marathwada region.
Her father, Bajirao Patil, participated in the Marathwada liberation struggle before the merger of Hyderabad state with the Indian Union. Her brother, Padamsinh Patil, went on to serve as a state minister and Member of Parliament.
She completed her education in commerce and maintained interests in agriculture and creative fields such as painting and music. In 1985 she married Ajit Pawar.
For several decades, she remained away from electoral politics and focused on family life and farming in Katewadi village near Baramati. She has two sons, Jay Pawar and Parth Pawar. Parth contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from the Maval constituency and finished second.
Work in Environment and Education
Before entering active politics, Sunetra Pawar was associated with social and environmental initiatives. In 2010, she founded the Environmental Forum of India, a non-governmental organisation working on organic farming, eco villages, and environmental conservation.
The organisation promoted sustainable agriculture, water conservation and rural sanitation across several districts of Maharashtra.
Under her leadership, Katewadi village was developed as an eco village through initiatives related to waste management, health and community livestock practices.
She also led self-help group movements in dozens of villages under the Nirmal Gram campaign. Her work received recognition, including the Green Warrior Award.
She has also been involved in education for many years. Sunetra Pawar serves as a trustee of Vidya Pratishthan, an educational institution founded by Sharad Pawar.
The institution provides education to more than 25,000 students. Since 2017, she has been a member of the Senate of Savitribai Phule Pune University.
At the international level, she has been part of the World Entrepreneurship Forum think tank based in France since 2011.
Entry into Electoral Politics
Sunetra Pawar entered electoral politics during the 2024 general election. She contested the Baramati Lok Sabha seat on a Nationalist Congress Party ticket.
The constituency is considered the stronghold of the Pawar family. She faced sitting Member of Parliament Supriya Sule in the contest and lost by a margin of around 1.58 lakh votes.
Despite the defeat, she continued her political journey. In June 2024, she was elected as a Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra.
Her entry into Parliament marked her formal role in national-level politics and came at a time when the Nationalist Congress Party was undergoing organisational changes following its split.
Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra
Following the death of Ajit Pawar on 28 January 2026, Sunetra Pawar was elected leader of the Nationalist Congress Party Legislature Party.
She was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister on 31 January 2026. Her appointment marked a significant moment in the state’s political history as she became the first woman to serve in the role.
Along with the deputy chief minister’s post, she was allocated key departments including excise, sports, youth welfare, minorities development and Aukaf.
She also took charge as president of the Nationalist Congress Party. Her elevation placed her at the centre of coalition politics in the BJP-led Mahayuti government.
Sunetra Pawar now faces the task of leading the party during a period of transition while managing responsibilities within the state government.
Her appointment signals a new phase in Maharashtra politics as she steps into a leadership role that had remained beyond her public profile for most of her life.