GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 31st Jan: Sunetra Pawar on Saturday took oath as the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, calling the moment a solemn responsibility shaped by personal loss and public duty. Her elevation comes days after the death of her husband, former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in a tragic plane crash.
Clad in a white saree, Sunetra Pawar was sworn in at Lok Bhavan in Mumbai, with the oath administered by Governor Acharya Devvrat. The brief ceremony was marked by emotional scenes as party workers raised slogans remembering Ajit Pawar.
In her first remarks after assuming office, Sunetra Pawar said the untimely passing of Ajit Pawar had cast “a mountain of grief” over her personal life and the state. “However, the devotion to duty, the strength of struggle, and the honest commitment to the people that he gave me are my true foundations,” she said, adding that she would transform her grief into service for Maharashtra.
She recalled Ajit Pawar’s lifelong work for farmers, labourers, women and youth, and said she would carry forward his legacy guided by the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj and B. R. Ambedkar.
Outlining her priorities, Sunetra Pawar said her focus would be on inclusive prosperity, women’s empowerment, youth opportunities, farmer welfare and administrative reforms aimed at making governance more transparent, sensitive and people-oriented. She said the trust and affection shown by citizens in this difficult time would remain her greatest strength.
Working alongside Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, she reaffirmed the Mahayuti government’s commitment to development. She said the government would work to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Concluding her address, Sunetra Pawar said she would work with renewed energy and hope to live up to the responsibility entrusted to her and remain worthy of the people’s trust.
