Ajit Pawar’s political journey ends in Baramati, his lifelong constituency

Ajit Pawar fondly known as lsquoDadarsquo began his political journey in Baramati and rose to occupy some of the most powerful positions in Maharashtrarsquos government On Wednesday that journey came full circle ending in the very constituency that remained the anchor of his political life even as his longcherished dream of becoming the statersquos chief minister remained unfulfilledBorn into one of Maharashtrarsquos most influential political families Ajit Pawar entered public life in the 1980s under the guidance of his uncle and mentor veteran leader Sharad Pawar While the latter built his political base through the cooperative sugar sector Ajit Pawar followed the same route learning the mechanics of power from the grassroots upwardHis first exposure to public administration came through the cooperative movement He served as a member of a sugar factory board before becoming chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank one of the most influential institutions in districtlevel politics and finance These roles helped him build a vast network across western Maharashtra and shaped his reputation as a tough administratorEntry in electoral politicsAjit Pawarrsquos formal political breakthrough came in 1991 when he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Baramati on a Congress ticket However he resigned midway through the term to facilitate his unclersquos move to national politics in Delhi Thereafter Ajit Pawar shifted his focus to state politics He was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Baramati a seat that would become his political fortress for over three decadesA sixtime MLA Ajit Pawar went on to create two major records in Maharashtra politics He served as deputy chief minister a record six times under different chief ministers including Prithviraj Chavan Uddhav Thackeray Eknath Shinde and Devendra FadnavisEqually significant was his role as finance minister Pawar presented the Maharashtra state budget 11 times the secondhighest number in the statersquos history cementing his image as one of the most powerful figures in MantralayaCM post that never cameIn 2004 Ajit Pawar came closest to fulfilling his ambition of becoming chief minister The Nationalist Congress Party won more seats than its alliance partner the Congress in the Assembly electionsHowever Sharad Pawar chose to allow the Congress to retain the chief ministerrsquos post in exchange for an additional cabinet berth in the UPA government at the Centre The decision deeply upset Ajit Pawar who openly expressed his disappointment at the timePolitical strains within the family resurfaced in 2009 when Sharad Pawarrsquos daughter Supriya Sule entered electoral politics and was elected MP from Baramati Aware of his nephewrsquos discomfort Sharad Pawar clarified that Sule would focus on national politics while Ajit Pawar would manage the partyrsquos affairs in MaharashtraDespite internal tensions Ajit continued to lead the NCPrsquos state unit under his unclersquos guidance for nearly a decadeIn 2019 Ajit Pawar stunned Maharashtrarsquos political establishment by briefly aligning with the BJP and taking oath as deputy chief minister alongside Devendra Fadnavis The government collapsed within three days after which Ajit returned to the NCP and resumed his role as deputy chief minister under his unclersquos leadership in the Maha Vikas Aghadi governmentKnown for his blunt style Pawar was often criticised for his harsh language during meetings and public speeches Yet within bureaucratic circles he was regarded as a decisive administrator and a relentless ldquogogetterrdquoHe was famous for beginning his workday as early as 6 am and for offering clear answers often a simple ldquoyesrdquo or ldquonordquo rather than ambiguous assurances Unlike many leaders who preferred delays and deliberations Pawar believed in swift decisionmakingOver his long career he handled some of the most powerful portfolios in the state government including finance planning irrigation energy public works and the deputy chief ministerrsquos officeHis career however was not without controversy He was forced to resign from the cabinet after allegations related to the irrigation scam surfaced although he later made a political comebackThe 2023 splitIn 2023 Ajit Pawar triggered a major political upheaval by splitting the Nationalist Congress Party and forming a separate faction parting ways with his uncle He subsequently joined the Eknath ShindeDevendra Fadnavisled Mahayuti government and was sworn in once again as deputy chief ministerDespite the political rupture signs of reconciliation emerged in 2026 when the factions led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar contested the Pune and PimpriChinchwad municipal elections together as alliesPolitical circles were abuzz with speculation that the two factions could reunite after the Zilla Parishad elections scheduled for February 5 with counting on February 7Ajit Pawarrsquos sudden death has now cast uncertainty over those possibilities leaving behind unanswered political questions and an unfinished chapter in Maharashtrarsquos power politics2023Year Ajit Pawar split NCPAjit Anantrao Pawar1959 Born on July 22 in Deolali Pravara village Rahuri taluka Ahmednagar district now Ahilyanagar1980 Entered active public life1982 Elected to the board of a cooperative sugar factory1991 Became chairman of Pune District Central Cooperative Bank1991 Elected MP from Baramati later resigned1991 Elected MLA from Baramati1991ndash93 Minister of state in agriculture power soil conservation and planning1999ndash2014 Held key cabinet portfolios including irrigation finance planning and energy2012ndash14 Deputy chief minister2019 Brief threeday deputy CM stint with BJP2019ndash22 Deputy CM and finance minister in MVA government2022 Leader of Opposition2023 Split NCP formed separate faction joined the Mahayuti government2024 Sworn in again as deputy chief ministerJanuary 28 2026 Died in a plane crash while travelling from Mumbai to Baramati