Nagpur man vowed to grow hair until Ajit Pawar became CM. Here’s what he did after NCP leader's death

Nagpur NCP worker shaves head after Ajit Pawar’s sudden death. (Image: @maratha_marathi/ X)

A NCP worker from Nagpur shaved his head at the Nira riverbank in Baramati on Thursday to pay tribute to the late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The gesture came after Pawar’s sudden death in a plane crash, and a video of the act has gone viral online.

As reported by Lokmat Times, Vilas Zhodape, a party worker from Umred taluka in Nagpur district, had taken a vow before the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections that he would not cut his hair until Ajit Pawar became Chief Minister of Maharashtra. For over a year, he kept his hair uncut as a symbolic act of faith in the leader. Pawar’s untimely death meant the vow remained unfulfilled.

Zhodape had met Ajit Pawar during the Winter Session of the Maharashtra Legislature in Nagpur. The senior leader noticed his long hair and told him that becoming Chief Minister required political strength and support, rather than symbolic acts. Pawar encouraged him to focus on public service and strengthening the party organisation.

Zhodape had arrived in Mumbai on the morning of 28 January to meet Pawar, when news of the fatal plane crash broke. Deeply shaken, he left for Baramati immediately. He also called his wife and two children in Nagpur, and the family attended the funeral.

After the last rites, Zhodape performed a head-shaving ritual at the Nira river, dedicating the act to Pawar’s memory. Speaking to locals, he said, “The person for whom I took this vow is no longer with us. By shaving my head here, I am offering this sacrifice to Ajit Dada’s legacy.”

The plane carrying Ajit Pawar crashed while trying to land at the Baramati airstrip. The accident also killed four others, his Personal Security Officer Vidip Jadhav, flight attendant Pinki Mali, and the crew, Sumit Kapoor, Captain Sahil Madan and Shambhavi Pathak.

After the crash, the Maharashtra government announced three days of mourning. Thousands of supporters came to Baramati to pay their respects as Pawar was cremated with full state honours at the Vidya Pratishthan ground on Thursday. Many party workers, members of the public, and senior leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, attended the funeral.