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Baramati was both the beginning and end of Pawar’s political journey. It was here that he entered politics, learning the mechanics of power under the shadow of his uncle Sharad Pawar and building a base that would sustain him for more than three decades.
how it started
Ajit PawarHis political career began at the age of 23 in the cooperative institutions of Western Maharashtra. Elected to a sugar co-operative board in 1982, he later became the Chairman of the Pune District Co-operative Bank, a position he held for 16 years.
Following the path of Sharad Pawar, he gained experience in rural economic system and regional development.
Pawar was elected from here for the first time Baramati Assembly constituency in 1991 and retained the seat continuously for more than 30 years.
ministerial roles
Ajit Pawar’s rise within the government was due to his command over heavy departments. In various tenures, he took charge of irrigation, water resources, energy, planning and, most importantly, finance.
As Water Resources and Irrigation Minister, Pawar pushed forward large-scale projects in the Krishna Valley, Konkan and Marathwada and drought-prone areas of western Maharashtra.
During his tenure, irrigation capacity expanded but there were also allegations of irregularities in project approvals. He rejected them.
In the field of finance, Pawar was seen as one of the most powerful budget managers in the state. Often referred to as an efficient administrator, he focused on capital expenditure, rapid distribution of funds to districts and tight control on departmental expenditure.
He earned the informal reputation of being the ‘Finance Manager-in-Chief’ of Maharashtra.
Ajit Pawar’s changing politics
Pawar’s most consequential influence came through his political decisions.
In November 2019, Maharashtra was placed under President’s rule after no party or coalition was able to form a government following the assembly elections. Ajit Pawar helped end this when he unexpectedly formed an alliance with the BJP, resulting in a swearing-in ceremony on 23 November in which Devendra Fadnavis became the Chief Minister and Pawar was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister.
The government fell within three days after it failed to garner sufficient support from NCP MLAs.
He returned to the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray as Deputy Chief Minister in December 2019.
In July 2023, after the fall of the MVA government, Pawar split the NCP and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde) government. The Election Commission recognized his faction as the official NCP, ending Sharad Pawar’s undisputed control over the party.
By December 2024, Pawar was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister for the sixth time, confirming his position in the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
Pawar’s efforts to expand nationally in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections have largely failed. Despite keeping the party name and symbol, it won only one seat. His faction of the NCP nevertheless performed strongly in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections and won 41 seats as part of the Mahayuti alliance.