Mumbai, January 31: Sunetra Pawar, 62, the widow of the late Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, was sworn in as Maharashtra’s first female Deputy Chief Minister during a ceremony in Mumbai on Saturday.

Her appointment comes after the tragic death of her husband, Ajit Pawar, in an air crash in Baramati on January 28. Following this loss, the NCP, part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, elected Sunetra Pawar as the new leader of its legislative wing.

A formal letter regarding her election was submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who then forwarded it to Governor Acharya Devvrat for approval.