The tragic death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash near Baramati has sent shockwaves across India’s political landscape. Pawar, 66, was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati when his private aircraft crashed during an emergency landing attempt, killing him along with two pilots and two other occupants.
The irony of the moment was striking. Baramati, the political stronghold that shaped Ajit Pawar’s rise, also became the place where his long and turbulent journey came to an abrupt end.
Born into a politically influential family, Ajit Pawar grew up under the towering shadow of his uncle Sharad Pawar. Yet, over three decades, he carved out an identity of his own—one defined less by ideology and more by power, control and political manoeuvring.
Elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly seven times from Baramati, Pawar became one of the state’s most durable politicians. He served as Deputy Chief Minister multiple times under ideologically diverse governments, working with leaders across party lines. His hold over finance, irrigation and energy portfolios made him one of the most powerful administrators in the state.
However, Pawar’s career was also marked by controversy and dramatic political turns. The first major rupture came in November 2019, when he briefly aligned with the BJP to form a government that collapsed within 80 hours. While the move shocked his party, it revealed Pawar’s willingness to take high-risk political bets.
The decisive break came in July 2023, when Ajit Pawar split the Nationalist Congress Party and joined the BJP-led government. Months later, the Election Commission awarded his faction the party name and symbol, cementing the division within one of Maharashtra’s most influential political families.
Electorally, Pawar’s trajectory was uneven. While the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were a setback, the subsequent Assembly polls restored his standing. Winning 41 seats, his faction emerged as a critical pillar of the ruling alliance, reaffirming Pawar’s relevance even after decades in politics.
Ajit Pawar’s death closes a chapter that mirrored modern Indian politics—where loyalty is fluid, alliances are tactical, and survival demands reinvention. He was often criticised, frequently underestimated, but never irrelevant.
In life and in death, Ajit Pawar remained what he always was: a central figure in Maharashtra’s power game.
