The Excise, Sports, and Minority Welfare portfolios were earlier handled by Sunetra Pawar’s late husband, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash near Baramati on January 28.
Sunetra was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister in the BJP-led Mahayuti government, following the sudden vacancy created by Ajit Pawar’s death. Ajit Pawar had held several key ministries, including Finance, Excise, Sports, and Minority Affairs, and was deeply involved in the state’s fiscal planning, as per News18.
CM Fadnavis to retain Finance, Planning portfolios
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis is expected to assume charge of the crucial Finance and Planning portfolios, the report said.
The move is aimed at ensuring administrative continuity and stability ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly Budget Session in March, during which the Maharashtra Budget 2026-27 is scheduled to be presented.
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Fadnavis is likely to present the Maharashtra annual budget. However, most of the groundwork for the Budget had already been completed under Ajit Pawar’s supervision before his death, the report mentioned.
Bringing in a new minister at the final stage, when policy fine-tuning and last-minute decisions are required, could have complicated the process, News18 reported.
Interim arrangement ahead of Budget session
Retaining the Finance portfolio with the CM Fadnavis during the pre-budget period would help ensure smooth coordination within the Mahayuti alliance and the NCP. The decision is described as a temporary measure aimed at preventing any disruption to budget preparations.
Assigning the Finance and Planning departments to Sunetra Pawar at this juncture, given her limited administrative experience, could have posed practical challenges with the budget presentation approaching, the report said.
However, the arrangement is reportedly temporary. After the budget is presented, the Finance and Planning portfolios are expected to revert to the NCP, in line with the coalition’s internal understanding, as per News18.
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Fadnavis had earlier handled the finance department in 2023, and his expected return to the role is being viewed within the ruling alliance as a pragmatic decision given the proximity of the budget session.
