Can Sunetra Pawar Become Deputy CM Without Being MLA? Yes, But There’s A Six-Month Condition

Last Updated:January 31, 2026, 16:42 IST

Uddhav, Mamata have done it: The law says Sunetra Pawar will have to become a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) or Legislative Council (MLC) within six months of taking oath

Sunetra Pawar will be the first woman deputy CM of Maharashtra. (X)

Rajya Sabha member Sunetra Pawar is all set to become Maharashtra’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister on Saturday replacing her deceased husband and ist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar in the state cabinet.

She reached Devgiri, the official residence of her late husband in south Mumbai, in the wee hours, accompanied by son Parth.

The 62-year-old leader, who is not a member of either house of the Maharashtra legislature, was elected as leader of the legislature wing of the ist Congress Party at a meeting in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon.

Can she still be the deputy CM of Maharashtra?

ALSO READ | Why Sunetra Pawar Agreed To Take Oath As Maharashtra Deputy CM Amid NCP Merger Buzz

What the law says

Article 164(4): The Constitution of India allows any person to be appointed as a Minister (including Deputy CM or CM) even if they are not a member of the state legislature.

To retain the position, the appointee must become a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) or Legislative Council (MLC) within six consecutive months of taking the oath. If they fail to do so, they must resign.

Have other leaders done this in the past?

Many high-profile leaders have taken office without initially being members of the state’s legislative body:

Uddhav Thackeray (Maharashtra): Sworn in as Chief Minister in 2019 without being an MLA or MLC; he was later elected to the Legislative Council.

Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh): Was an MP when he became CM in 2017 and later became an MLC.

Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal): Was an MP when she first became CM in 2011.

Dinesh Sharma & Keshav Prasad Maurya (Uttar Pradesh): Both were appointed as Deputy CMs in 2017 without initially being members of the state legislature.

Prithviraj Chavan (Maharashtra): Was a Union Minister when appointed CM and later won a by-poll to become an MLA.

What can be done for Sunetra Pawar?

A sitting MLA from the party can resign from his/her seat, allowing Sunetra Pawar to contest the by-election for that constituency. Baramati, a seat previously held by Ajit Pawar, is currently vacant. The buzz is her Rajya Sabha seat may go to her son, Parth.

ALSO READ | NCP News Live Updates HERE

All about Sunetra Pawar

Sunetra Pawar, born on 18 October 1963 in Ter (Osmanabad/Dharashiv), Maharashtra, comes from a family with political roots. Her father, Bajirao Patil, was a senior regional leader and her brother, Padamsinh Bajirao Patil, was an influential politician. She completed her Bachelor of Commerce from SB College, Aurangabad, and later married Ajit Pawar in 1985, and has two sons, Parth and Jay.

Sunetra established herself as a social worker and environmentalist, founding the Environmental Forum of India focused on eco-villages and sustainable development, and has chaired the Baramati High-Tech Textile Park, while also serving as a trustee of Vidya Pratishthan and on the Senate of Savitribai Phule Pune University.

Until the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sunetra Pawar had kept a low profile. In the Lok Sabha elections that year, she contested from Baramati as the candidate of her husband’s party, but was defeated by her sister-in-law and incumbent NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule in the prestige battle. Sunetra Pawar was subsequently elected to the Rajya Sabha.

With PTI Inputs

News politics Can Sunetra Pawar Become Deputy CM Without Being MLA? Yes, But There’s A Six-Month Condition

Read More