Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as Maharashtra’s first woman deputy chief minister on Saturday, stepping into public office days after the death of her husband, NCP leader Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash. She now faces the immediate challenge of leading the Nationalist Congress Party amid a period of political and personal upheaval.In her first public remarks after the tragedy, Sunetra Pawar said she was “overwhelmed with emotions” as she assumed responsibility in the state cabinet, adding that she would “carry forward the legacy” of her late husband and “continue to work tirelessly” for Maharashtra.
Clad in a white saree, she took the oath amid chants of “Ajit Dada amar rahein,” in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Who is Sunetra Pawar?
Sunetra Pawar hails from Tera village in Dharashiv district, earlier known as Osmanabad, in the Marathwada region. While she belongs to a political family, with her brother Padamsinh Patil being a senior NCP leader, she was not actively involved in politics for much of her life.Her father, Bajirao Patil, played a role in the Marathwada liberation movement that preceded the merger of the Hyderabad state with the Indian Union. This legacy shaped her early exposure to public life and social issues.A commerce graduate, Sunetra Pawar has interests in painting, music, photography, and agriculture. After her marriage, she took up farming in Katewadi village and became actively involved in agricultural work.She founded the Environmental Forum of India (EFOI), a non-governmental organisation focused on environmental awareness and sustainable living. Under her leadership, EFOI introduced the eco-village model in India, integrating ecological practices into rural development.A committed environmentalist, she has led campaigns on biodiversity conservation, protection of endangered species, water management, and drought mitigation. Her efforts earned her the “Green Warrior Award” in recognition of her contribution to environmental causes.Sunetra Pawar also serves as a trustee of Vidya Pratishthan, an educational institution established by Sharad Pawar. She has also represented India in international forums on sustainability and social innovation as part of a think tank of the World Entrepreneurship Forum based in France.Sunetra Pawar has spearheaded a self-help group initiative across 86 villages in Maharashtra under the Nirmal Gram campaign, transforming Katewadi in Baramati into an eco-village that promotes sanitation, health, community livestock management, and solid waste management.She also serves as chairperson of the Baramati Hi-Tech Textile Park, a multi-modal garment manufacturing facility providing employment to over 15,000 rural women.Sunetra entered electoral politics in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, contesting from Baramati, her family’s stronghold, against her sister-in-law and incumbent NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule.After losing to Sule, she was elected to the Rajya Sabha. Her elder son, Parth Pawar, has stayed away from active politics following an unsuccessful bid in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Maval, while her younger son, Jay, is an entrepreneur.
