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Monday, January 12, 2026
TopicAjit Pawar

Topic: Ajit Pawar

Ajit Pawar, popularly called Ajit Dada, is a prominent Maharashtra politician, and nephew of Sharad Pawar, the co-founder of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and former union minister.

In 2023, Ajit Pawar, along with some MLAs, split from the NCP and joined the Eknath Shinde-BJP government in the state. He then went on to serve as a co-deputy CM along with the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis under CM Eknath Shinde. A year prior to this, Ajit Pawar was the leader of the opposition in the state assembly and the finance minister for three years under the then MVA government of the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena. Pawar has a history of defections; in 2019, too, he defected from the party to become the Deputy CM under Fadnavis, which lasted just a few days.

Ajit Pawar is an MLA from Baramati, a family constituency for the Pawars. He has represented Baramati in the Vidhan Sabha since 1995, and previously served as Minister of State for Agriculture and Power, Minister of State for Soil Conservation, Power, and Planning in 1992, and Cabinet Minister responsible for the Irrigation Department in 1999.

‘I want to lead…’ — Ajit Pawar lays bare his chief ministerial ambitions days after becoming dy CM

Manasi Phadke -
Addressing his faction, the junior Pawar said he had 'created a record being deputy CM' but he 'many ideas' in his mind for which he needs to occupy Maharashtra's top seat.

Uncle-nephew battle reaches EC: Ajit stakes claim to NCP symbol, Sharad Pawar faction files caveat

Amogh Rohmetra -
NCP state chief Jayant Patil from Sharad Pawar faction informs poll panel about disqualification of nine rebel MLAs. Action will be taken as per extant legal framework, says EC.

A ‘Maharashtra Victim Aghadi’ alliance & tomato-ketchup play ‘chicken-and-egg’ game

Yokmi Zimik Kachui -
The best cartoons of the day, chosen by the editors at ThePrint.

‘Want to become CM,’ says Ajit Pawar, chides uncle & NCP chief Sharad Pawar for not retiring

ThePrint Team -
Ajit Pawar split the party Sunday and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government; he claims to have the support of maximum NCP MLAs.

At show of strength, Ajit Pawar draws more MLAs than uncle amid calls for him to ‘lead NCP’

Manasi Phadke -
While 32 of 53 NCP MLAs were at dy CM's meeting, 17 MLAs & 1 Independent attended Sharad Pawar’s. Ajit needs 36 MLAs to pledge NCP's support to govt. Workers sign affidavits at both meets.

‘Did enough due diligence,’ says NCP’s Ajit Pawar faction on breaking away to join BJP-Sena

ThePrint Team -
Ajit loyalist Chhagan Bhujbal said they had done enough due diligence before joining the Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra.

Ashok Chavan to Uddhav Thackeray—Ajit Pawar as deputy has been unlucky for all his bosses

Bharat Agrawal -
Congress is now tweeting about the former PM PV Narasimha Rao. But BJP’s ‘Operation Rao’ is halted for the time being.

Sharad Pawar’s NCP calls MLAs for meeting, Ajit Pawar’s rival group too set to meet party legislators

PTI -
The NCP has moved a petition before Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to disqualify Ajit Pawar and 8 other MLAs who shifted to Eknath Shinde-led government.

Ajit Pawar’s Maharashtra move echoes Modi’s slogan as ‘one more’ deputy CM contender awaits

Akanksha Mishra -
The best cartoons of the day, chosen by the editors at ThePrint.

‘Wanted a full bhakri, will now get half’: Resentment in Shinde’s Sena over induction of NCP ministers

Manasi Phadke -
With the induction of nine NCP MLAs in the Maharashtra cabinet, the state now has only 14 vacant cabinet berths as against 23 before the Ajit Pawar-led faction joined the government.
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