Sunetra Pawar to take oath as Maharashtra Deputy CM tomorrow
What's the story
Sunetra Pawar will be sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Saturday at 5pm. She has accepted the proposal for her elevation and will continue to hold the Excise and Sports ministries in the state government, India Today reported, citing sources. The decision comes after a meeting of senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders who proposed her appointment to guide the party ahead of upcoming elections.
Portfolio distribution
Finance portfolio to remain with CM Fadnavis temporarily
The Finance portfolio will temporarily remain with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis until the budget session in March. It will later be transferred to the NCP. The Pawar family reportedly held discussions around the proposal before Sunetra agreed to take up the Deputy Chief Minister's post. The oath-taking ceremony will officially make her a part of Maharashtra's top executive leadership along with CM Fadnavis.
Party meeting
NCP legislature party meeting to be held on Saturday
A legislature party meeting of the NCP has been called on Saturday, where Sunetra will be named as its leader. Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal was quoted as saying that CM Fadnavis has no issues with her oath-taking ceremony on Saturday. The deputy chief minister's post was left vacant following 66-year-old Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash in Baramati on Wednesday.
Procedure
Party meeting on Saturday
According to NDTV, NCP will hold a legislative party meeting tomorrow in the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai at 2pm to finalize her name, following which, Pawar will be administered the oath at 5pm. Pawar is currently a member of the Rajya Sabha and is not a member of either house of the Maharashtra legislature. She is also the chairperson of Baramati Textile Company.