Ajit Pawar Life Journey: The skies over Baramati, the very land he transformed over four decades, turned somber on the morning of 28 January 2026.

Ajit Pawar, the incumbent Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and one of the state’s most formidable political strategists, perished in a tragic plane crash while attempting to land for an election campaign.

The Learjet 45, carrying five people including the leader affectionately known as “Dada,” burst into flames upon impact at the Baramati airstrip.

As the nation reels from the shock of his sudden demise, we look back at the relentless, often controversial, but undeniably impactful life of the man who became the “forever Deputy CM” of India’s powerhouse state.

Early Years of Ajit Pawar

Born on 22 July 1959 in Deolali Pravara, Ahmednagar district, Ajit’s life was tethered to the agrarian heartland of Maharashtra from the start. He was the son of Anantrao Pawar, who worked at the famous Rajkamal Studios in Mumbai.

However, the trajectory of Ajit’s life shifted early when his father passed away. A young Ajit had to drop out of college to shoulder the responsibility of his family and the family farm in Katewadi, near Baramati.

This early exposure to the struggles of farmers and the intricacies of the rural economy sowed the seeds of the administrative “pragmatism” that would later define his career.

Entry into Politics

While his uncle, the legendary Sharad Pawar, was already a rising star in Indian politics, Ajit did not start at the top. His first foray into public life was through the cooperative sector, the backbone of Maharashtra’s political power.

In 1982, he was elected to the board of a cooperative sugar factory. By 1991, he had risen to become the chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank, a position he held for an staggering 16 years.

This era was his “training ground,” where he mastered the art of grassroots mobilization and financial management.

Landmark Year of 1991

The year 1991 was a turning point. Ajit was first elected to the Lok Sabha from the Baramati constituency. However, in a display of loyalty that would define the early half of his career, he vacated the seat just months later for his uncle, Sharad Pawar, who became the Defence Minister.

Ajit then transitioned to state politics, winning the Baramati Assembly seat in a by-election. He would go on to win this seat seven consecutive times, turning Baramati into a model of industrial and agricultural development that even his fiercest critics admired for its world-class infrastructure.

Six Times a Deputy

Ajit Pawar held a unique, almost paradoxical record: he was the longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, holding the post across six non-consecutive terms under four different Chief Ministers (Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray, and Eknath Shinde).

Known for his “corporate style” of functioning, he was famous for reaching his office at 7:00 AM, demanding punctuality from bureaucrats, and having a data-led grasp of the Finance and Irrigation portfolios.

Under his watch, projects like the Pune Metro and massive water conservation schemes were fast-tracked, earning him a reputation as an “execution specialist.”

The “80-Hour” Coup

No journey as long as Ajit Pawar’s is without its storms. His career was frequently shadowed by allegations related to a Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam and the Lavasa Lake City project. Though never proven in court, these issues became political ammunition for the opposition.

Perhaps his most audacious moment came in November 2019, when he broke ranks with his uncle to take oath as Deputy CM alongside the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis in a dawn ceremony. The government lasted only 80 hours, but it signalled a new, independent Ajit Pawar, one who was willing to gamble everything for a seat at the table.

The New NCP

In July 2023, the “Dada” of Baramati made his final, most significant move. Citing a desire for development and the need for a “generational shift,” he led a formal split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), aligning with the Mahayuti alliance.

In February 2024, the Election Commission of India officially recognized his faction as the real NCP, awarding him the iconic Clock symbol. This move effectively ended his role as the “nephew in the shadow” and established him as a “Supremo” in his own right, leading his party with a focus on administrative efficiency.

The Logical Indian’s Perspective

At The Logical Indian, we reflect on the life of Ajit Pawar as a complex study of power, development, and political survival. While his bluntness, once famously reflected in a controversial remark during a drought, drew criticism, his commitment to the physical transformation of rural Maharashtra was undeniable.

He was a leader who chose “the possible” over “the ideal,” often navigating the grey areas of coalition politics to ensure his vision for “Nava Maharashtra” (New Maharashtra) moved forward. His death leaves a void in the Maratha leadership that will be difficult to bridge. 

Also Read: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar Dies in Baramati Plane Crash During Landing