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Friday, January 9, 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.

Fadnavis is Maharashtra CM, Shinde & Pawar deputies after 11 days of suspense & an 11th hour surrender

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BJP had been coaxing Eknath Shinde to join as deputy CM, but he didn’t give his consent till mere hrs before ceremony. Sena sources say he had put the condition of getting home portfolio.

Watch CutTheClutter: As political drama ends in Maharashtra, what to expect from Fadnavis 3.0

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As Ajit Pawar’s NCP cements dominance, what lies ahead for Sharad Pawar & his party

Manasi Phadke -
The MVA’s debilitating loss and within that the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP)'s poor performance raises a question: What is the party's future considering he is at a ripe age of 83 years?

Voters answer ‘real NCP’ question. Ajit Pawar ascendant, Sharad Pawar faction gets just 10 seats

Purva Chitnis -
Ajit-Pawar-led NCP had won 40 seats and was leading in one more as of 9 pm. Of 37 seats where the two factions faced each other, Ajit Pawar faction won 29.

Ajit Pawar retains NCP bastion Baramati, defeats nephew Yugendra by over 1 lakh votes

Manasi Phadke -
Dy CM Ajit Pawar has held on to Baramati assembly seat since 1991. He lost the first round in NCP vs NCP fight when his wife Sunetra lost to Supriya Sule in Lok Sabha elections.

Maharashtra polls: Ajit Pawar, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat among early voters

PTI -
Voting began in all 288 Assembly seats in the state at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.

‘Ajit Pawar was with anti-Hindu ideologies,’ says Fadnavis on NCP’s opposition to ‘Katenge to Batenge’

ANI -
It will take Ajit Pawar some time to understand public mood, says Fadnavis. Adds that he sees nothing wrong with slogan given by Yogi Adityanath and 'this is the history of this country'.

Ajit Pawar’s NCP will emerge ‘kingmaker’ in Maharashtra, will join govt ‘on own terms’—Nawab Malik

Neelam Pandey -
In conversation with ThePrint, five-time MLA Nawab Malik also talks about his decision to join Ajit Pawar-led NCP and communally charged remarks by leaders of Mahayuti ally BJP.

‘Stand on your legs,’ SC tells Ajit Pawar’s NCP not to use uncle & party founder Sharad Pawar’s name

ANI -
Sharad Pawar’s lawyers argued Ajit, who broke away from the parent party & joined the ruling Mahayuti in Maharashtra last year, was piggybacking on the veteran leader’s goodwill.
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