NCP president Ajit Pawar on Thursday made a record in the Maharashtra politics by becoming the Deputy Chief Minister for the sixth time.
Ajit Pawar who had grown up in state politics under the guidance of his estranged uncle and veteran politician Sharad Pawar is credited for the NCP's stellar performance with winning 41 seats from the 59 contested in the state elections.
After ditching his uncle and joining the MahaYuti in July 2023, Ajit Pawar decided not to return to his estranged uncle but spread his party's wings with the help of new friends and allies in the BJP and Shiv Sena.
Ajit Pawar hogged the headlines after he took the oath as the Deputy Chief Minister in November 2019 without keeping his uncle in the loop. However, he came to the NCP fold after resigning as the Deputy Chief Minister which led to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's resignation.
Despite his political adventure, he later again became appointed as Deputy Chief Minister in the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government. After it also collapsed, he outpacing party colleague Jayant Patil by becoming the Leader of the Opposition.
However, he again became Deputy Chief Minister after his move to desert Sharad Pawar and joining MahaYuti in July 2023.
He was able to get the party's name and party's poll symbol clock from the Election Commission though the matter is still pending final orders with the Supreme Court.
Ajit Pawar took the bold decision to field his wife Sunetra against his estranged cousin Supriya Sule in the Lok Sabha elections to give a strong indication to the party cadres that he has cut off his relations with Sharad Pawar and there was no question of going back to him. However, Sunetra Pawar lost to Supriya Sule.
Ajit Pawar was ridiculed by opponents but he worked hard to concentrate on strengthening the party organisation by advocating a slew of welfare and development schemes, including Ladki Bahin Yojana in the run-up to state assembly elections.
His decision to further expand his reach with the voters by traveling extensively across the state proved fruitful as NCP won 41 seats and consolidated its position as a trusted ally in MahaYuti and also in the NDA. He thus outwitted the Sharad Pawar-led faction and claimed that the NCP led by him was a real NCP.
Known for his rough and tough talk, Ajit Pawar made conscious efforts to change his image which also helped him increase his communication with the cadres.
Ajit Pawar is elected from Baramati assembly constituency for a record eighth term. In 1991, he was elected as the chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank and continued to hold the post for 16 years.
He was also elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1991 from the Baramati seat. He later vacated the seat for his uncle Sharad Pawar who later joined the Narasimha Rao-led cabinet as the Defence Minister.
Known for being a strict administrator, Ajit Pawar held several ministries, including energy, irrigation, finance and planning. Amid the irrigation scam raked up by the opposition, Ajit Pawar had stepped down from the post of Deputy Chief Minister's post for some time but later was inducted again in the state cabinet.
He also came under a media trial on the charges of irregularity in the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank and in the takeover of sick cooperative sugar factories in the state.
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