| Birth name | Sunetra Bajirao Patil |
|---|---|
| Birth date | 18 October 1963 (age 62) |
| Birth place | Ter, Maharashtra, India[1] |
| Office | 11th Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra |
| Alongside | Eknath Shinde |
| Governor |
|
| 1blankname | Chief Minister |
| 1namedata | Devendra Fadnavis |
| 2blankname | Ministry and Departments |
| 2namedata | |
| Term start | 31 January 2026 |
| Predecessor | Ajit Pawar |
| Office 1 | Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha |
| Term start 1 | 21 June 2024 |
| Term end 1 | 6 May 2026 |
| Constituency 1 | Maharashtra |
| Predecessor 1 | Praful Patel |
| Office 2 | National President of Nationalist Congress Party |
| Predecessor 2 | Ajit Pawar |
| Term start 2 | 26 February 2026 |
| Office 3 | Guardian Minister of Pune District & Beed District in Government of Maharashtra |
| Predecessor 3 | Ajit Pawar |
| Term start 3 | 3 February 2026 |
| Office 4 | Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly |
| Term start 4 | 4 May 2026 |
| Predecessor 4 | Ajit Pawar |
| Constituency 4 | Baramati |
| Party | Nationalist Congress Party |
| Spouse | Ajit Pawar (m. 1985; died 2026) |
| Occupation | Politician · agriculturist · social worker · industrialist · academic administrator |
| Website | https://sunetrapawar.com/ |
Sunetra Ajit Pawar (née Bajirao Patil; born 18 October 1963) is an Indian politician serving as 11th Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra alongside Eknath Shinde since 2026.[2] She is the first woman to hold the office. Sunetra also serves as the National President of the Nationalist Congress Party[3] and has previously represented Maharashtra in the Rajya Sabha. She is the widow of her predecessor, Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash in 2026.
Early and personal life
Sunetra Bajirao Patil was born on 18 October 1963 in Ter, Maharashtra.[4] 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.[5][6] 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 .[7]
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.[8][9][10][11]
Although she was unsuccessful in the general election, she was subsequently elected as a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra in June 2024.[12]
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.[13][14] She was also given the charge of State Excise, Sports and Youth Welfare, Minorities Development and Aukaf ministries.[15]
References
- ^ "From low-profile wife of politician to centre stage: Sunetra Pawar's journey to deputy CM's post". The Print. 31 January 2026.
- ^ "Sunetra Pawar takes oath as Maharashtra deputy CM". Scroll. 31 January 2026.
- ^ "Sunetra Pawar takes oath as Deputy Chief Minister, Becoming Maharashtra's Second Woman Deputy CM.". Lokmat. 31 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
- ^ "From low-profile wife of politician to centre stage: Sunetra Pawar's journey to deputy CM's post". The Print. 31 January 2026.
- ^ Shaikh, Zeeshan (30 January 2026). "Sunetra Pawar: The reluctant politician set to carry forward husband Ajit Pawar's legacy". The Indian Express. Archived 30 January 2026 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Kumar, Vivek (31 January 2026). "Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra takes oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister". Archived 31 January 2026 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Ajit Pawar's Fascinating Family Tree and Political Legacy". The Statesman. 3 July 2023.
- ^ Dutta, Sharangee (29 January 2026). "Supriya Sule beat Sunetra in Lok Sabha polls. Now, she's bhabhi's pillar in tragedy". India Today
- ^ "Sunetra Pawar eyes ministerial berth in Modi govt as she is set to be Rajya Sabha MP". The Indian Express. 15 June 2024.
- ^ "Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra elected Rajya Sabha member". The Hindu. 18 June 2024.
- ^ Nair, Ardhra (11 June 2024). "City NCP unit seeks RS seat, MoS post for Sunetra Pawar". The Times of India
- ^ "Sunetra Pawar elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha". The Times of India. 18 June 2024.
- ^ "Sunetra Pawar Becomes First Woman Deputy CM of Maharashtra". Bru Times News
- ^ Pandit, Vinaya Deshpande (31 January 2026). "Sunetra Pawar becomes the first woman DCM of Maharashtra, to handle three portfolios" (in en-IN). The Hindu
- ^ "Sunetra Pawar gets Excise, Sports ministries; Finance portfolio held by Ajit Pawar goes to CM Fadnavis | Today News". mint. 2026-01-31. Retrieved 2026-01-31.