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January 30, 2026, Mumbai : Maharashtra is set for an unusual budget session following the death of Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis now expected to present the state Budget for 2026–27.
Ajit Pawar, who held the crucial finance portfolio, passed away earlier this week and was cremated with full state honours on Thursday. His death has created an unexpected gap at the helm of the state’s financial administration just weeks before the annual Budget session.
The state legislature is scheduled to begin on February 23. Pawar would have presented his 12th state Budget during this session, a number that would have placed him close to the long-standing record of Maharashtra’s first finance minister, late Sheshrao Wankhede, who presented the Budget 13 times.
With limited time available to assign the portfolio to another minister, sources in the government have indicated that Chief Minister Fadnavis is most likely to take on the responsibility himself. If so, this would be his second Budget presentation. He had earlier presented the Budget in March 2023 while serving as finance minister during the Eknath Shinde-led government.
Maharashtra’s budgetary history includes several leaders who handled the finance brief for extended periods. Jayant Patil presented 10 Budgets during the Congress–NCP government between 1999 and 2014. Before him, Sushilkumar Shinde presented the Budget nine times, Ramrao Adik eight times, Madhukarrao Chaudhary five times and Yashwantrao Mohite four times. During the Shiv Sena–BJP government from 1995 to 1999, Eknath Khadse presented the Budget three times, while Mahadev Shivankar handled it twice.
The sudden loss of Ajit Pawar has added a sombre note to this year’s budget exercise, turning what is usually a routine financial event into a moment of transition for Maharashtra’s political leadership.
