Six-time deputy, never the CM: 'CM in waiting' Ajit Pawar's long tryst with politics

Ajit Pawar

As prolonged suspense over the next chief minister of Maharashtra finally came to an end on Thursday, with the swearing in of Devendra Fadnavis as the state's CM, flanked by two deputies-- Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, an image that dominated, and perhaps widely discussed among political commentators was Ajit Pawar, who set his sight on the CM's position umpteen times, had to settle for the second most important position- deputy CM.

Pawar on Thursday become the deputy CM for a record sixth term. He has worked as Deputy CM under four CMs - Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.

Ajit Pawar, 65, who is known to be politically ambitious and speak his mind, took oath as the deputy CM of Maharashtra today for sixth time since 2010, when he was appointed the deputy CM for the first time.

The eight-time MLA from Baramati, grew under the tutelage of his uncle Sharad Pawar and learnt tricks of the trade under his shadow, but managed to carve a niche in Maharashtra politics early in his life.

Here's a brief timeline of Pawar's stint as Maharashtra deputy CM:

- Ajit Pawar first became deputy chief minister in 2010 when Congress’s Prithviraj Chavan was chief minister.

- His second stint as deputy CM was again as part of the Congress-NCP alliance in 2012, and once again under Chavan’s chief ministership. Both times the Congress was the dominant partner and which was why Ajit Pawar had to settle for the deputy’s job.

-In November 2019, Ajit Pawar were sworn in as the deputy CM for the shortest term as the government led by BJP's Devendra Fadnavis, which took oath in a hush-hush ceremony in the Raj Bhawan, lasted just 80 hours.

- Pawar again became the deputy chief minister in the MVA government led by Udhav Thackeray and remained in the position for two-and- half years, till the alliance government collapsed in 2022.

- Ajit Pawar’s rise within Mahayuti followed his defection from Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction in 2022. This was the fifth time when he was given the post of deputy CM.

- Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy CM for the sixth time today at a grand ceremony in Mumbai's Azad Maidan.

Consolidating his position further within Mahayuti grouping, the Election Commission awarded Ajit Pawar’s faction the official NCP name and the clock symbol, consolidating his political position.