When Ajit Pawar loses his cool, no one is spared. Not even his uncle Sharad Pawar’s confidante or blue-eyed boys in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). An incident that took place almost a decade ago is testimony of that.
It was a public function in Mumbai attended by Ajit, his uncle and then budding NCP leader R.R. Patil. Speaking at the function, Patil said that Ajit had been making quite a few foreign trips. “Even after my so many requests, Dada (Ajit) did not take me along with him to any of the foreign trips,” said Mr Patil, who is now the home minister.
When Ajit’s turn to make the speech came, he stunned Mr Patil and every one in the audience by saying that he didn’t take Patil along because of his habit of chewing tobacco and spitting that was embarrassing. So chastened and hurt was Mr Patil with the remark that apparently Sharad Pawar had to step in to cool tempers between the two. Mr Patil, however, stopped chewing tobacoo, at least publicly.
For his supporters, Ajit is an upright politician, who is not afraid of calling a spade a spade. For his detractors, Ajit is simply brash and arrogant. “He is popular among the NCP cadre. But he is not popular among the masses. One has to show humility to win people’s respect, Ajit Pawar does not even make efforts,” says leader of Opposition in the legislative council Vinod Tawde.
Born on July 22, 1959, Ajit is a commerce graduate from Shivaji University, Kolhapur. He is married to Sunetra and has two sons, Parth and Jay. He made foray into politics in 1982 when he was elected to Chhatrapati Sugar, a co-operative sugar factory at Bhavaninagar in Baramati.
In June 1991, Ajit was elected to Lok Sabha from Baramati constituency. But only after four months, Mr Sharad Pawar decided to venture into the national politics. So the uncle and nephew swapped their constituencies in September 1991 — Sharad Pawar was elected to Lok Sabha from Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, while Ajit became MLA from Baramati state Assembly constituency. Since then Ajit is member of the state legislative Assembly, winning elections after elections effortlessly.
Mr Sharad Pawar formed the NCP in 1998 and since its inception; cadres have seen Ajit as Sr Pawar’s heir apparent.
Ajit first became minister in Sudhakarao Naik’s cabinet in 1991 and remained a minister of state till February 1993, when his uncle Sharad Pawar returned to the state as chief minister. He came back as a minister in Vilasrao Deshmukh’s cabinet. However, he never assumed any significant post in the state NCP, nor did he make an attempt to become the deputy chief minister even though he was regarded as NCP’s leader in the state legislature.
Once, journalists asked him if he had the ambition of becoming the DCM. “Why DCM? I will become the CM,” Ajit replied. However, things changed when Supriya Sule became member of Parliament in 2006.
Insecurity forced Ajit to make his first attempt at the DCM’s post immediately after 2009 state Assembly elections. In the NCP legislature party’s meeting held on October 26, 2009 under the supervision of Praful Patel, some MLAs supporting Ajit demanded voting to elect party’s leader in the state legislature. However, their demand was rejected and inevitably the party gave all rights to Sharad Pawar to choose the leader. The Rashtravadi Bhavan witnessed aggressive sloganeering from Ajit’s supporters. Ajit left the meeting midway and Praful Patel announced Chhagan Bhujbal’s name in Ajit’s absence.
Ajit finally succeed in dislodging Mr Bhujal and grabbing the DCM’s post on November 10, 2010.
Less than two years down the line, Ajit resigned from the state cabinet to “allow fair investigation” into allegations of corruption against him. However, those knowing Ajit say that it was not an attempt to bid time, but a challenge thrown back at his opponents, especially chief minister Prithviraj Chavan.
“After his resignation, the burden of corruption charges will not be on him (Ajit Pawar). The man replacing him in the cabinet will have to answer these charges. Opposition will not be able to target Ajit anymore, as he will not be in power. On the other hand, he will get time to strengthen the party organisation for the next elections,” says political analyst Hemant Desai.
Ajit’s supporters have already started projecting him as a martyr who has relinquished his post to allow fair probe despite no involvement in corruption cases.
“There is no allegation of misappropriation or corruption against him in black and white,” says NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad, who is considered to be a close aide of the Pawars.
Ajit’s opponents also admit his hold on administration and his ability to get work done. However, they are not ready to give him a clean chit.
“Ajit is ambitious. He wants to become CM. There is no doubt that he is a good administrator. Whenever, as the leader of the Opposition I went to him with a public welfare work, it was completed on time within the government rules and procedures. However, there is also no doubt that the departments held by him were mired in corruption,” says Mr Tawde.
Despite the serious allegations, there are indications that Ajit will return to power sooner than later. In NCP, nobody steps down easily. And if one does, he is rehabilitated expeditiously.
Mr Bhujbal had resigned after the Telgi scam and was reinstated after the next election. Similarly, R.R. Patil had to resign after the 26/11 terror attack. He returned to hold home department after the 2009 elections. There is no reason why Ajit wouldn’t come back.s