In pictures: Ajit Pawar’s journey - power, politics and end of an era in Maharashtra

Born on July 22, 1959, in Deolali Pravara in Ahmednagar district, Ajit Anantrao Pawar grew up in a family deeply embedded in Maharashtra’s cooperative and political culture. (Photo credit: PTI)

Following in the footsteps of his uncle Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar entered public life when he was elected to the board of a cooperative sugar factory—his first brush with organised politics. (Photo credit: X/@RahulSeeker)

Ajit Pawar was elected to the Lok Sabha from Baramati in 1991, marking his national political debut, before vacating the seat to make way for Sharad Pawar. (Photo credit: PTI)

In 1991, Ajit Pawar was elected as the MLA from Baramati, marking the start of an unprecedented streak of eight consecutive terms in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. This victory established him as a dominant political force in the region, laying the foundation for his long and influential career in state politics. (Photo credit: PTI)

In a dramatic turn, Pawar briefly became deputy chief minister alongside Devendra Fadnavis in a BJP-led government that collapsed within 80 hours. (Photo credit: Agencies)

Pawar returned as Deputy Chief Minister under Uddhav Thackeray, holding crucial portfolios such as finance and planning for over two years. (Photo credit: PTI)

Rebelling against Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar walked away with a majority of NCP MLAs, later securing the party name and symbol and reshaping Maharashtra’s political equations. (Photo credit: file photo)

On July 2, 2023, Ajit Pawar officially split from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)—founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar—and joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Maharashtra led by chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. (Photo credit: IANS)

After a modest Lok Sabha debut, Pawar’s NCP rebounded in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, winning 41 seats and paving the way for his sixth oath as Deputy Chief Minister. (Photo credit: PTI)

In a surprise political turn, Pawar allied with Sharad Pawar for local body polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad before his tragic passing on January 28, 2026, in a plane crash—bringing down the curtain on one of Maharashtra’s most consequential political careers.