India, Feb. 11 -- Sunetra Pawar, widow of NCP chief Ajit Pawar, took charge as deputy chief minister at Mantralaya on Tuesday. She is the first woman to hold this position in Maharashtra.

Within minutes of assuming charge, Sunetra conducted a pre-cabinet meeting of the NCP and then attended the state cabinet meeting at 12 pm. Unable to hold back tears, Parth watched his mother assume her new role as deputy chief minister, stepping into the shoes of his father, who died in a plane crash on January 28.

"No one can ever take Dada's (Ajit Pawar's) place, but I will make an earnest effort to preserve the legacy of his ideals and to build a stronger and more capable Maharashtra. In these difficult times, the love, support, and trust shown by ...