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Who is Ajit Pawar? BJP's new bestie and Maharashtra Deputy CM

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Mumbai, Nov 23: Ajit Pawar, the nephew of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) cheif Sharad Pawar hogged the limelight of the day after a faction of NCP led by him forged an alliance with the BJP to form stable government in Maharashtra. He came out of his uncle's shadow to join hands with the BJP.

Ajit Pawar

Ajit Pawar's move has resulted in an apparent rift in the Pawar family, with Sharad Pawar and others denying support and promised to take action against the newly-sworn in Deputy Chief Minister.

Affectionately known as "Dada", Ajit cut his teeth in politics at the grass root-level under the wings of Sharad Pawar in the early 80s.

A tough administrator and an immensely popular face in his largely rural Assembly segment Baramti in Pune district, Ajit is also a maverick leader who doesnt shy from being on a different page from his party, NCP sources said.

Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar blackmailed into joining hands with BJP, says Sanjay RautMaharashtra: Ajit Pawar blackmailed into joining hands with BJP, says Sanjay Raut

In October 21 Assembly election, Pawar won with the highest margin of 1.65 lakh votes only affirmed his iron grip on the constituency.

Born on 22nd July, 1959 to a family of farmers in Deolali Pravara, Ahmednagar, Ajit Pawar has always been keenly aware of the systemic inefficiencies in the agricultural economy.

Ajit is married to Sunetra, sister of former Maharashtra minister Padmasinh Patil.

Ajit Pawar entered politics by contesting a by-election in 1991 from the Baramati Assembly seat and has since retained the family bastion seven times in a row. Ajit first became a minister of state in June 1991, when Sudhakarrao Naik helmed the state government.

With close to three decades of experience in the political arena, Ajit Pawar has served as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Minister of State (MS) for several key portfolios including; Water Resources, Rural Soil Conservation Development, Power and Planning, as well as Guardian Minister for Pune District.

Do not endorse it: It was Ajit Pawar’s personal decision says Sharad PawarDo not endorse it: It was Ajit Pawar’s personal decision says Sharad Pawar

The 60-year-old, who was last month named by the Enforcement Directorate in the Rs. 25,000-crore Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank Ltd. Scam. The ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Ajit Pawar, his uncle and others in connection with the Bank scam.

Interestingly, Ajit Pawar decided to quit politics last month citing the Enforcement Directorate move against his uncle and NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Few party workers opined that he may have been looking to get out of the veteran Maratha leader's shadow.

This theory was back in circulation on Saturday as in a move few thought possible, the 60-year-old hitched his horse to a different wagon, in the process becoming the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra once more.

It remains to be seen how Ajit, who has a reputation of working with an independent mindset and holding divergent views from his uncle, will gel with the ideologically different Devendra Fadnavis-led regime.

Ajit's son Parth unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election earlier this year from Maval seat in Pune district. NCP insiders say Ajit Pawar blamed uncle Sharad Pawar's "disinterest" for his son Parth's Lok Sabha defeat.

Supriya Sule, his cousin is a parliamentarian from Baramati and his nephew Rohit is a legislator from Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahmednagar.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)

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