New Delhi: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) National President Sunetra Pawar on Wednesday resigned from her position as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Rajya Sabha.
Sunetra Pawar submitted her resignation letter to the Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman, C P Radhakrishnan.
The move comes shortly after her landslide victory in the Baramati Assembly by-election, where she transitioned from the Upper House of Parliament to the State Legislature.
Office of the Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan in a post on X said, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Smt. Sunetra Ajit Pawar, called on Vice President of India and Chairman, Rajya Sabha Shri C P Radhakrishnan at Uprashtrapati Bhawan today and tendered her resignation as Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha). Her resignation has been accepted by the Chairman with effect from 6th May, 2026. The Chairman conveyed his best wishes for her continued service to the nation and success as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.”
According to parliamentary rules, an individual elected to both a State Legislature and Parliament must resign from one seat within 14 days. Following the official declaration of the assembly by-election results on May 4, Sunetra Pawar acted promptly to vacate her Rajya Sabha seat.
A by-election for this vacant seat is expected to be announced shortly, sparking intense curiosity within the NCP and across the political spectrum regarding her successor.
Sunetra Pawar was thrust into the role of Deputy Chief Minister following the unexpected demise of the veteran leader Ajit Pawar. Her transition to the state Assembly was cemented by a record-breaking performance in the Baramati bypolls in which she got 2,18,930 votes, while the votes polled by 22 candidates and NOTA together were 4,837 votes.
By securing this massive mandate, Sunetra Pawar has surpassed the previous voting record set by the late Ajit Pawar in 2019. The Pawar family’s presence in the Rajya Sabha remains steady, as Sunetra’s son Parth Pawar was sworn in as a Rajya Sabha MP just last month.
“I am deeply grateful to the people of Baramati for their overwhelming trust and support,” Sunetra Pawar stated. She said, it is a Tribute to Ajit Dada.” She dedicated her monumental win to the memory of the late Ajit Pawar.
Her victory is seen as a major boost for the NCP, with party workers and her sons, Parth and Jay Pawar, celebrating the historic margin. All eyes are now on the Election Commission for the announcement of the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-poll.
(IANS)
