Sunetra Pawar Allocated Excise, Sports And Minority Affairs Portfolios As Maharashtra’s First Woman Dy CM

Newly appointed first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Sunetra Pawar, has been allotted the portfolios of excise, sports, youth welfare, and minority affairs and Auqaf departments following her swearing-in on Saturday.

Governor Acharya Devvrat, in a communication addressed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, approved the allocation of key departments, including State Excise Duty, Sports and Youth Welfare, and Minorities Development and Aukaf.

Finance, Planning Retained By Chief Minister

Sunetra Pawar has not been allocated the finance and planning departments, which were held by former deputy chief minister late Ajit Pawar, particularly as the budget session of the state legislature is scheduled to begin on February 23.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will continue to hold the finance and planning portfolios and is also expected to present the annual Budget for 2026–27. These departments were previously overseen by the late Ajit Pawar, who passed away in a plane crash earlier this week. While Sunetra Pawar takes charge of three departments, the high-profile finance and planning ministries have been retained by the chief minister to ensure administrative continuity as the state prepares for the upcoming Budget session in March.

NCP may seek finance portfolio post-Budget

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

The decision on portfolio allocation was finalised after the Nationalist Congress Party legislature party unanimously elected Sunetra Pawar as its leader. The proposal was sent by the chief minister to the governor earlier in the day and received immediate approval.

Observers view the 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 at a simple ceremony held at Lok Bhavan, where Governor Acharya Devvrat administered the oath of office and secrecy. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, ministers and legislators were present at the ceremony.

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