India, Jan. 31 -- Rajya Sabha member Sunetra Pawar is set to take oath as the first woman deputy chief minister of Maharashtra on Saturday, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders aware of the matter said, taking over the position from her late husband Ajit Pawar who died in a tragic plane crash two days ago.

Sunetra, who unsuccessfully fought the 2024 Lok Sabha elections before entering the Rajya Sabha on June 18 2024, is likely to be elected as the leader of the NCP legislature party on Saturday and subsequently take oath as deputy chief minister, they added.

The 40 legislators of the NCP are likely to meet at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai at 2 pm on Saturday to elect their leader, who will then become the deputy chief minister of the stat...