Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit ‘Dada’ Pawar died in a plane crash at Baramati airport on Wednesday, leaving behind a long career full of ups and downs in politics.
According to DGCA, five people including the crew were killed in the accident which took place at 8.45 am today morning on a chartered flight from Mumbai to Baramati in Maharashtra. This accident of Mumbai-Baramati charter plane happened on the runway of Baramati. Pawar was on board the aircraft along with 2 other employees (1 PSO and 1 attendant) and 2 crew members.
Pawar was going to Baramati to attend a public meeting organized for the Zilla Parishad elections.
Ajit Pawar was born on 22 July 1959 in Devlali Pravara, Rahuri taluka of Ahmednagar district. He was popularly known as “Ajit Dada” because of his tireless efforts for the people of Maharashtra and his ability to stay connected to the people and the soil.
Apart from making significant contributions to government administration, Pawar led the management of various cooperative organizations such as milk unions and associations as well as sugar factories.
Ajit Dada’s leadership journey started from various institutions like milk unions, various cooperative societies, sugar factories and banks and got a new direction after he was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991. Later he vacated the Baramati seat for his uncle Sharad Pawar. Since then, he has held several other positions including MLA, Minister of State for various important government departments and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Ajit Pawar was the longest serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, although this tenure was not continuous. He held the post of Deputy Chief Minister six times in different governments. He served as Deputy Chief Minister in the cabinets of Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.
He was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Baramati parliamentary constituency in 1991 and later vacated the seat for his uncle Sharad Pawar. He was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly seven times from Baramati Assembly constituency. He won for the first time in the 1991 by-election and subsequently won in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014.
In November 2019, he broke with the National Parliament (NCP) and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government and became the Deputy Chief Minister. In February 2024, the Election Commission granted the party name and symbol to the Ajit Pawar-led faction.
Despite this, Ajit Pawar was considered very close to his uncle Sharad Pawar, under whose guidance he started his political career. In the recently held Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections, two rival factions of the NCP formed an alliance and presented a joint development agenda for Pune.
Ajit Pawar was known for his frankness and outspokenness. He is survived by his wife Sunetra Pawar and two sons Jai and Parth Pawar.
