Maha: Sunetra Pawar gets excise, sports and minority affairs portfolios

Mumbai: Newly appointed first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Sunetra Pawar gets the charge of excise, sports, youth welfare, and minority affairs and Auqaf departments after swearing in on Saturday. ​

Governor Acharya Devvrat, in a communication addressed to the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, approved the allocation of three key portfolios, including State Excise Duty, Sports and Youth Welfare, and Minorities Development and Aukaf.​

She has not been allocated the finance and planning departments, held by former deputy chief minister late Ajit Pawar, especially when the budget session of the state legislature will start from February 23.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will hold the finance and planning departments, and is also expected to present the annual budget for 2026-27.​

These portfolios were previously held by the late Ajit Pawar, who passed away in a plane crash earlier this week. While Sunetra Pawar takes over these three departments, the high-profile Finance and Planning ministries, which were also under Ajit Pawar, have been retained by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. This move ensures administrative continuity as the state prepares for the upcoming Budget session in March.​

NCP insiders said that the party, after the conclusion of the upcoming budget session of the state legislature, will request the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to allocate the finance and planning departments to Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar. ​

The decision was finalised after the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislature party unanimously elected Sunetra Pawar as its leader. The proposal for the portfolio allocation was sent by Fadnavis to the Governor earlier today and received immediate approval.​

Observers view this appointment as a strategic move to stabilise the party and the Mahayuti alliance ahead of the local body elections.​

Earlier, Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as the first woman deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. In a simple ceremony held at Lok Bhavan, the Governor Acharya Devvrat administer Sunetra Pawar the oath of office and secrecy. ​

The Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, DCM Eknath Shinde, ministers, and legislators were present at the swearing-in ceremony. She took the oath solemnly.​

IANS