Ajit Pawar dies in plane crash: Political journey of Maharashtra’s longest-serving deputy CM | India News
Ajit Pawar
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar died on Wednesday in a plane crash in Baramati after the aircraft failed during a landing attempt.Ajit Pawar was among the most influential political leaders in Maharashtra. Though he never became chief minister, he made history by holding the post of deputy chief minister for the longest period in the state, serving six terms across different governments.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered him as a “leader of the people” and a “grassroots politician” who remained deeply connected to the masses.The Nationalist Congress Party witnessed a major split in recent years, after which the original party name and symbol were awarded to the faction led by Ajit Pawar, which aligned with the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance. His uncle, veteran leader Sharad Pawar, went on to head the breakaway faction now known as NCP (SCP).Ajit Pawar served as deputy chief minister under several chief ministers, including Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde. His long political career was marked by his ability to navigate changing alliances while retaining his influence in Maharashtra politics.He began his political journey in 1982 in the cooperative sector, after being elected to the board of a sugar factory. In 1991, he became chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank, strengthening his hold over the region’s cooperative movement.The same year, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Baramati but later vacated the seat for Sharad Pawar. Ajit Pawar went on to become a seven-time MLA from Baramati, first winning a by-election in 1991 and retaining the seat in subsequent elections.In November 2019, he briefly joined a BJP-led government after engineering a split in the NCP and became deputy chief minister. In February 2024, the Election Commission recognised his faction as the official NCP and awarded it the party name and symbol.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.
