Hours after taking oath as Maharashtra’s first woman deputy chief minister (CM), Sunetra Pawar shared her first reaction on her X handle, dedicating her new role to continuing the work and ideals of her late husband, Ajit Pawar.

In her post, she said she would work for farmers, labourers, women, youth, and marginalised communities, following the principles of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shahu Maharaj, Jyotiba Phule, and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. She acknowledged the grief caused by Ajit Pawar’s sudden death, describing it as “a mountain of sorrow”, but said the people’s support gives her strength to continue his work.