'DADA' LEAVES MAHA PAWAR VOID

NCP LEADER'S DEATH IN PLANE CRASH THROWS SPANNER IN THE WORKS AMID PARTY MERGER AND SUCCESSION TALKS

- SUDHIR SURYAWANSHI @ Mumbai

AJIT PAWAR July 22, 1959-Jan 28, 2026

THE Pawars of Baramati pinned their political hopes on unity under Ajit Pawar. That hope was shattered when the NCP leader and Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister lost his life in a plane crash on Wednesday morning, abruptly ending a transition meant to reshape both the party’s future.

In recent weeks, the Pawar family quietly agreed to appoint Ajit Pawar as overall NCP leader, with Sharad Pawar planning to step back. Succession talks were nearing completion when fate intervened.

To understand why Ajit Pawar was central to this carefully crafted succession, it is essential to trace his political journey and the foundation on which his authority was built.

Ajit Pawar was born on July 22, 1959. He entered politics under the close tutelage of his uncle, Sharad Pawar, and was first elected to the Lok Sabha from the Baramati constituency. He later vacated this seat for his uncle, who went on to become the defence minister in the P V Narasimha Rao government.

Ajit Pawar quickly adopted his uncle’s political style. He was disciplined and punctual, starting work at 6 am daily and expecting the same from others. Health-conscious and abstaining from alcohol and smoking, he walked four to five kilometres each morning. He made efficiency and development central to his politics.

Though a state-level leader, Baramati remained his emo-