Pune, Feb. 1 -- On a hazy evening in Mumbai, the political climate appeared charged as Ajit Pawar's widow, Sunetra Pawar, was sworn in as Maharashtra's deputy chief minister, catapulting her from the periphery of power to its very centre. In a state that has had a long history of prominent and powerful women in the social arena, women politicians in consequential positions have been conspicuously missing. On Saturday, Sunetra Pawar breached a glass ceiling when she became the deputy chief minister. But her swearing in within three days of Ajit Pawar's death has reopened the fault lines in Maharashtra's most politically consequential family. On Saturday morning, the family patriarch, Sharad Pawar, claimed he had no prior knowledge of Sunetra Pawar's political move. He added that a merger of the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) would have been a "tribute to Ajit Pawar". The 62-year-old Sunetra's rise is not merely an administrative development; it's a clear signal within the NCP about who carries Ajit Pawar's legacy. It's also significant in the context of the unresolved struggle for control over Baramati, the citadel that has defined the Pawars' dominance for six decades. Sharad Pawar, who has seen every permutation of power within his clan and in the broader context of Maharashtra, offered a carefully worded response on Saturday about the speed at which Sunetra Pawar's elevation was organised. "There may be a feeling that someone has to take responsibility for the NCP and, possibly owing to this, Sunetra Pawar's oath-taking may be taking place," he said. It was a statement that acknowledged the political logic without endorsing the timing. For decades, Sunetra Pawar was seen as the unobtrusive presence beside one of Maharashtra's most combative politicians. But those who have watched her closely insist she was never a reluctant participant in public life. Ambitious, politically savvy and acutely aware of the calculus of power, she remained in the shadows largely because Ajit Pawar occupied every inch of political space around him. Her political grounding predates her marriage into the Pawar family. Her father, Bajirao Patil, was a veteran regional leader, while her brother Padamsinh Patil went on to become a prominent minister in the Maharashtra cabinet. Her nephew, Rana Jagjitsinh Patil, is at present a BJP lawmaker from Tuljapur. Politics was not an external influence; it was part of the household rhythm she grew up with. Educated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from SB College in Aurangabad (now Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), Sunetra Pawar married Ajit Pawar in 1985, and it was only as late as 2008 that she started taking an active public role in Baramati. She played a central role in setting up and running the Baramati Hi-Tech Textile Park. The project allowed her to build a profile around women's employment and industrial development-an identity distinct from Ajit Pawar's image as a hard-driving administrator. Later, she became associated with Vidya Pratisthan, the Pawar family-controlled educational trust, which enabled her induction into the senate of Savitribai Phule Pune University in 2017. These positions gave her organisational experience and a chance to build her own grassroots connect, even as she stayed away from electoral politics. That changed decisively in 2024. In March of that year, while she was campaigning in Mulshi for Ajit Pawar's NCP, she received confirmation that she would contest the Baramati Lok Sabha seat against her sister-in-law, Supriya Sule. The announcement formalised a contest that was political, personal and symbolic all at once. Baramati is not just another constituency; it is from where the Pawar family draws its power. While Ajit Pawar had already represented the pocket borough five times until then in the Assembly, Supriya Sule had already been Baramati's MP thrice. Sunetra framed the contest cautiously. "People want change," she said, thanking the Mahayuti leadership for nominating her. But the stakes were unmistakable. Supriya Sule, six years her junior, carried the full weight of Sharad Pawar's legacy. The result was decisive. Sunetra lost by over 150,000 votes in one of the fiercest Pawar-versus-Pawar battles in recent history, even as the BJP-led Mahayuti suffered setbacks across Maharashtra. Yet, her defeat did not end her political trajectory. Within weeks, on June 21, 2024, she was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha-an indication that Ajit Pawar and his allies were determined to keep her at the centre of the political chessboard. Her record in the Upper House since then has been uneven, but not negligible. Data from the Rajya Sabha website and PRS Legislative shows her attendance at 69%, below the national average of 80%. She has participated in four debates, including one on environmental issues linked to the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh in Nashik. She has asked 126 questions, significantly above the national average of 92. The numbers invite inevitable comparison with Supriya Sule, whose Lok Sabha record includes 93% attendance, participation in 250 debates, 629 questions and 16 private member's bills over four terms. The contrast is frequently cited by critics, but allies argue Sunetra's parliamentary stint was never meant to be the culmination of her career. Her elevation to deputy chief minister confirms that assessment. For Ajit Pawar, control over Baramati was always about future-proofing his political relevance. After the NCP split in July 2023, he recognised that organisational authority without Baramati was fragile. Sunetra's candidature in 2024 was part of that strategy. Her appointment now, supporters argue, is its continuation. Sources close to Ajit Pawar's faction say the decision to elevate Sunetra was driven by two imperatives. The first was continuity-ensuring that Ajit Pawar's political line, administrative style and organisational grip are not diluted in the transition. The second was succession. With Ajit gone, the question of who inherits his political space became immediate and unavoidable. That question was complicated by the recent controversy involving their elder son Parth Pawar over acquisition of government land at Mundhwa, which became public knowledge when it emerged that his company had failed to pay the stamp duty on it. Parth, who harbours his own political ambitions, lost from Maval in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Mundhwa land controversy has also raised doubts about whether he can immediately step into a leadership role. Ajit and Sunetra's younger son, Jay, married recently, is considered too young to take any leadership role, especially when the NCP has many stalwarts like Chhagan Bhujbal, Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare around. Sources say this strengthened the view within Ajit Pawar's camp that Sunetra herself must contest and secure Baramati. These sources say that Sunetra Pawar too is keen to get elected from the Baramati assembly seat in the by-poll that is widely expected within the next six months. Winning Baramati would not only retain Ajit Pawar's legacy but also anchor her authority as deputy chief minister with an electoral mandate. The Rajya Sabha seat, of which four years remain, may then go to either of her two sons. Sunetra Pawar's personal style stands in sharp contrast to her husband's. She is firm but mild-mannered, cautious in public statements and measured in dealing with the media. She relies on a close coterie of friends, most of whom are from Maharashtra's business and political families. "Her gentle demeanour works across rural and urban areas," said an NCP leader who previously worked with Sharad Pawar before switching allegiance to Ajit Pawar. Yet, this very restraint has led critics to question whether she can command the bureaucracy and the complexities of coalition politics that define the deputy chief minister's role. Supporters counter that the office is not merely about aggression but about negotiation-something Sunetra has practised quietly for years. Her outreach to the RSS and BJP ecosystem during the 2024 campaign underscored her political adaptability. She visited RSS veterans, spoke at institutions considered important by the Sangh, and sought to reassure cadres that she could work within the Mahayuti framework. These moves were not spontaneous; they were part of a calibrated attempt to broaden her acceptability beyond the NCP's traditional base. Within the Pawar family, however, the rupture remains stark. Most of the clan has aligned with Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule. Sunetra's brother-in-law, Shrinivas Pawar, had publicly called Ajit "ungrateful" during the party split in 2023. To which Sunetra had responded obliquely, circulating a puranic message likening Ajit Pawar's struggle to Krishna's victory despite opposition. It was a rare glimpse of steel beneath her calm exterior. Now, as she assumes office, Sunetra Pawar carries multiple burdens. She must administer a complex state. She must steady a party faction still finding its feet after a traumatic loss. And she must navigate a family feud that shows no signs of resolution. Her oath is not an endpoint. It is an opening move....