On Tuesday, the Maharashtra government named Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar as the guardian minister for Pune and Beed districts. The appointment follows the death of her husband, Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28.
Sunetra Pawar, an NCP leader and widow of the late Ajit Pawar, was sworn in as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister at Lok Bhavan in Mumbai on January 31. She was also elected leader of the NCP Legislative Party.
Ajit Pawar had earlier held the position of guardian minister for the districts of Pune and Beed. His unexpected passing left a leadership gap in the two districts, where he was instrumental in both political and administrative capacities.
In his role as guardian minister, Ajit Pawar managed numerous significant development initiatives. Additionally, he served as the main political opponent to the BJP's increasing power within the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died when his aircraft crashed while landing in Baramati, his political stronghold. The Learjet 45XR, which took off from Mumbai at 8:10 AM and was due to land at 8:50 AM, went down in flames, killing Pawar and four others on board, including the pilots, a flight attendant, and his security personnel.