Ajit Pawar dies in plane crash: Political journey of Maharashtra's longest-serving deputy CM

NEW DELHI: Ajit Anantrao Pawar, popularly known as “Dada” in Maharashtra’s high-stakes political arena, was a dominant force in state politics whose life came to an end when his plane crashed in Pune district's Baramati.

Pawar was known for his blunt, no-nonsense style and his firm grip on Maharashtra’s political landscape. Known for his good command and authority across party lines.


He was serving his sixth term as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra in the BJP-led Mahayuti government, headed by CM Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde.

He was also the national president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).



Ajit Pawar emerged from the influential Pawar political family and rose under the towering legacy of his uncle, veteran leader Sharad Pawar, an octogenarian who had earlier served as chief minister of the state.

In 2023, the NCP split into two factions when Ajit Pawar broke away to align with the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance. Sharad Pawar left with the remaining faction and chose not to support the BJP–Shiv Sena government in the state.

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission recognised the faction led by Ajit Pawar as the “real” NCP, awarding it the party name and symbol, while Sharad Pawar’s faction continued as NCP (SCP).


Also read | PM Modi condoles Ajit Pawar's death, recalls his dedication

Ajit Pawar represented the Baramati assembly constituency for seven consecutive terms starting in 1991, winning each election by comfortable margins. His political strength was firmly rooted in Maharashtra’s powerful cooperative sector.

'Dada' served as chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank for 16 years, giving him deep influence over sugar cooperatives and milk unions across western Maharashtra.

Over the years, he handled almost every major ministerial portfolio in the state, including water resources, power and rural development, serving under different chief ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh, Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan, Uddhav Thackeray and most recently Devendra Fadnavis.

Ajit Pawar’s political relevance was shaped by his readiness to take bold — and often contentious-- decisions.

In a dramatic early-morning move in November 2019, he took oath as deputy chief minister alongside BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis. The experiment lasted just 80 hours before he returned to the fold led by his uncle, Sharad Pawar. In July 2023, he made his most decisive break yet, engineering a vertical split in the NCP and joining the Eknath Shinde-led government -- a move that directly challenged the 25-year leadership of his uncle and political mentor.

Despite the turbulence, Pawar was widely respected within the bureaucracy for his “pro-action” style of functioning and his firm grip on administration.

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Ajit Pawar was married to Sunetra Pawar and has two sons, Jay and Parth. From the cooperative sector to the highest levels of state politics, his journey remained closely tied to Baramati, the constituency that shaped his political life.
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