NEW DELHI: Minutes after taking oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, Sunetra Pawar on Saturday said that she will “carry forward the legacy” of her late husband Ajit Pawar and “continue to work tirelessly” for Maharashtra.In her first public reaction after Ajit Pawar’s death in a fatal plane crash, Sunetra said that she is “overwhelmed with emotions” as takes the responsibility of deputy chief minister in the Maharashtra cabinet.

“Respected Ajitdada has given us the mantra to live a lifetime for farmers, toilers, women, youth, and deprived sections. Today, carrying forward the legacy of his thoughts, staying steadfast in the principles of ‘Shiv-Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar’, I am overwhelmed with emotion as I take on the responsibility of the Deputy Chief Minister’s position with a sense of duty,” Suntera said in a social media post on X.“Though Dada’s untimely departure has caused a mountain of grief to crash upon my heart, the true support I have is the duty-consciousness, the strength to struggle, and the commitment to the people that he taught me. I will continue to work tirelessly with honesty to realise the just, egalitarian, and developed Maharashtra of his dreams,” she added.“In this difficult moment, the love and support from the people of Maharashtra is my strength. With the power of your trust, illuminating Dada’s thoughts, I will keep moving forward with new hope,” she further said.Sunetra sworn in as the deputy chief minister after she was unanimously chosen the leader of the legislative party of NCP.During the swearing in ceremony, Sunetra was seen clad in a white saree as she took the oath amid the chants of “Ajit Dada amar rahein.”During the ceremony Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with deputy chief minster Eknath Shinde, was also present. Meanwhile, no member from the extended Pawar family attended the ceremony.Apart from being the deputy chief minister of the state, Sunetra has also been allocated with the portfolios of state excise, sports and youth welfare, minority development and Aukaf.Ajit Pawar, along with his PSO and three cabin crew members, died in a fatal plane crash while travelling from Mumbai to Baramati on Wednesday. The plane crashed while attempting to land at the Baramati airfield.The crash occurred around 8.48 am, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau have dispatched probe teams to the site of the mishap to investigate.Ajit Pawar was the longest-serving deputy chief minister of Maharashtra non-consecutively. He served in the position for six terms within various governments.He had worked as deputy chief minister in the cabinets of Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.