For more than four decades, Pawar remained at the centre of Maharashtra politics, shaping governments, breaking alliances and redefining power equations with an instinct for survival that few leaders matched.
A Political Inheritance
Born in 1959, Ajit Pawar inherited politics as much as he pursued it. His father, Anantrao Pawar, worked at Rajkamal Studio, far removed from public life. It was his uncle, Sharad Pawar, who became his political mentor and gateway into power.
Ajit entered politics in 1982, choosing organisational work over early electoral ambition. He first rose through Maharashtra’s cooperative sector, serving on the board of a cooperative sugar mill and later becoming chairman of the Pune District Co-operative Bank, a post he held for 16 years. These positions helped him build a formidable rural support base.
From Parliament To State Power
In 1991, Ajit Pawar entered national politics, winning the Lok Sabha seat from Baramati on a Congress ticket. His tenure in Parliament was brief, as he vacated the seat for Sharad Pawar to facilitate his uncle’s move to the Centre.
Ajit then shifted his focus decisively to state politics. Between 1991 and 2019, he won the Baramati Assembly seat seven times in a row, turning it into one of the safest political bastions in Maharashtra.
His first ministerial role came in 1991 as Minister of State for Agriculture in Sudhakarrao Naik’s government. When Sharad Pawar later became Chief Minister, Ajit was elevated to the energy portfolio, marking his rise within the state hierarchy.
Power, Portfolios And Controversy
After the fall of the government in 1995, Sharad Pawar returned to central politics, while Ajit stayed back to build his own stature in Maharashtra. That decision proved pivotal.
In 1999, under Vilasrao Deshmukh’s government, Ajit Pawar was handed the powerful irrigation ministry, which he retained until 2010. The portfolio gave him immense influence, even as allegations of corruption and mismanagement followed him through much of his tenure.
In 2004, when the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party contested elections together, expectations grew that the Chief Minister’s post might go to the NCP. Although that moment never came, Ajit Pawar emerged as a serious contender for the state’s top job.
Family Fault Lines
The internal dynamics of the Pawar family shifted in 2006, when Sharad Pawar’s daughter, Supriya Sule, entered politics. Until then, Ajit Pawar had been widely seen as the party’s undisputed heir.
In 2010, he became Deputy Chief Minister under Prithviraj Chavan but resigned after allegations of corruption surfaced. After receiving a clean chit, he returned to the same post in 2012. Despite recurring criticism from the opposition, his hold on power remained intact.
The Art Of Political Defection
Ajit Pawar’s most dramatic political turn came in 2019. With no party securing a clear majority in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, he stunned allies and rivals by joining hands with the BJP in a dawn swearing-in ceremony. He was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister, but the government collapsed within 80 hours.
Later that year, he returned to office once again as Deputy Chief Minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. That alliance lasted two and a half years before falling apart.
Throughout these shifts, Ajit Pawar frequently praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, underlining his pragmatic approach to politics rather than ideological rigidity.
The Final Break And Legacy
The final rupture came on 10 June 2023, during the Nationalist Congress Party’s 25th foundation day, when Sharad Pawar announced two working presidents. Viewing the move as a signal of marginalisation, Ajit Pawar rebelled, split the party and aligned with the BJP, reshaping Maharashtra’s political landscape.
Ajit Pawar’s legacy is deeply contested. To supporters, he was a decisive administrator and a leader who understood rural Maharashtra better than most. To critics, he embodied opportunism and the turbulence of coalition politics.
His sudden death has brought an abrupt end to a career marked by ambition, resilience and constant reinvention. In Baramati, the constituency that defined him, mourning is mixed with reflection on a leader who never stopped altering the course of Maharashtra’s politics.
