Ajit Anantrao Pawar is an Indian politician currently serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. This article provides an overview of his early life, education, political career, family background, and more.
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Ajit Pawar -Early Life:
Ajit Pawar was born on 22nd July 1959 in Deolali Pravara, Ahmednagar district. He grew up in the village of Katevadi in Baramati taluka, Pune district. He is the son of Anantrao Pawar, the elder brother of Sharad Pawar, who is the chief of the Nationalist Congress Party. His mother's name is Ashatai Anantrao Pawar. Ajit Pawar's grandfather, Govindrao Pawar, worked at Baramati Co-operative Trading, while his grandmother took care of the family farm.
Information | Details |
---|---|
Name | Ajit Pawar |
Full Name | Ajit Anantrao Pawar |
Born | 22 July 1959 |
Birthplace | Devlali Pravra, Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra State |
Age-2023 | 64 Years (as of 22 July 2023) |
Father | Anantrao Pawar |
Mother | Ashatai Anantrao Pawar |
Brother | Srinivasa Pawar (elder brother) |
Sister | Vijaya Patil (passed away on 22 Jan 2017) |
Uncle | Sharad Pawar |
Grandfather (Dada) | Govindrao Pawar |
Grandmother | Sharda Pawar |
Wife | Sunetra Pawar |
Children | Jai Pawar and Parth Pawar |
Career | Politician |
Current Position | Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra |
Current Position Start Date | 2 July 2023 |
Education:
After completing his schooling in Deolali Pravara, Ajit Pawar began pursuing a college degree. However, he had to drop out due to the untimely death of his father. Despite not completing higher education, he holds the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) from the Maharashtra State Board.
Political Career:
Ajit Pawar is a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, representing the Baramati constituency. He has served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra alongside Devendra Fadnavis and was the former leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Prior to 2023, he also held the position of Finance Minister of Maharashtra.
Family:
Ajit Pawar is the nephew of Sharad Pawar, one of the prominent leaders in Indian politics. Sharad Pawar is the chief of the Nationalist Congress Party, a major political party in Maharashtra. Ajit Pawar's family has a strong political background, with his uncle's leadership and influence playing a significant role in shaping his career.
Personal Life of Ajit Pawar: Family, Caste & Wife
Family Background:
Ajit Pawar comes from a Maratha ethnicity and belongs to the Other Backwards Caste (OBC) community. It's important to note that according to the Gazette of India, individuals with surnames like 'Powar' or 'Pawar' who do not belong to this community should not be included in the mentioned category. His father, Anantrao Pawar, had a career in the film industry and worked for the renowned filmmaker V. Shantaram at Rajkamal Studios in Bombay. The name of his mother is unknown. His grandparents were Govind Pawar and Sharda Pawar. Ajit Pawar had an elder brother named Shriniwas, who is a businessman, and a sister named Vijaya Patil, who worked in the media industry but sadly passed away on 22nd January 2017.
Marriage and Children:
Ajit Pawar is married to Sunetra Pawar, who is the daughter of Padamsinh Bajirao Patil, a former Minister of Maharashtra. The couple has two sons named Jay Pawar and Parth Pawar. Jay is involved in business, while Parth pursued a career in politics. Parth contested the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections from the Maval Constituency in Maharashtra but faced a significant defeat, losing by a margin of 2,15,193 votes.
Recent Development:
On 2nd July 2023, Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister in the Eknath Shinde government. This marked another milestone in his political journey and further solidified his position in Maharashtra's political landscape.
Political Career-Early Political Engagements:
Ajit Pawar, during his primary education in Deolali Pravara, witnessed the political rise of his uncle, Sharad Pawar, within the ruling Congress party. Seeking further education, Pawar moved to Bombay. His initial entry into politics came in 1982 when he was elected to the board of a cooperative sugar factory. Subsequently, in 1991, he assumed the position of Chairman of the Pune District Co-operative Bank (PDC), which he held for a remarkable 16 years. Additionally, he was elected as a Member of Parliament, representing the Baramati Parliamentary Constituency.
However, he later vacated his Lok Sabha seat to accommodate his uncle, Sharad Pawar, who had become the Defense Minister in PV Narasimha Rao's government. Pawar then secured a seat in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Baramati Assembly Constituency. He was re-elected from the same constituency in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2014.
Ministerial Roles:
Ajit Pawar's ascent continued as he took on ministerial positions in the state government. From June 1991 to November 1992, he served as the Minister of State for Agriculture and Power in Sudhakar Rao Naik's government. Later, when Sharad Pawar returned as the Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar became the Minister of State for Soil Conservation, Power, and Planning from November 1992 to February 1993. With the Congress-NCP coalition assuming power in 1999, he was elevated to the role of Cabinet Minister in the Irrigation Department under Vilasrao Deshmukh's government.
He also assumed additional responsibility as the Minister of Rural Development from December 2003 to October 2004 in Sushilkumar Shinde's government. Following the coalition's victory in 2004, Pawar retained the Water Resources Ministry in both Deshmukh's and Ashok Chavan's governments.
Deputy Chief Minister and Opposition Leader:
In a surprising turn of events on 23rd November 2019, Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra State in collaboration with the BJP, without the consent of his party, the NCP. However, his tenure lasted less than 80 hours, making him the Deputy CM with the shortest tenure in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government. On 1st December 2019, it was announced that Pawar would assume the position of Deputy Chief Minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi administration after the commencement of the winter session of the state legislature on 16th December.
Following the 2022 Maharashtra political crisis, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government collapsed due to an internal revolt within the Shiv Sena. As a result, when the rebel Shiv Sena group joined hands with the BJP to form the government with Eknath Shinde as the Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar became the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
Recent Appointment:
In a surprising turn of events on 2nd July 2023, Ajit Pawar once again took everyone by surprise as he was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Pawar's decision is believed to have been influenced by his dissatisfaction with not receiving a prominent position within his party, unlike Supriya Sule.
Controversies Related To Ajit Pawar
Allegations of Favoritism in Lavasa Development:
Ajit Pawar has faced allegations of favoritism and involvement in the development of Lavasa, a project associated with the vision of his uncle, Sharad Pawar. As the Minister for Water Resources, there are claims that he went to great lengths to support the project. The Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation (MKVDC) leased a significant portion of the Warasgaon dam reservoir, amounting to 141.15 hectares, to Lavasa in August 2002. These allegations also point out that the lease agreement between MKVDC and Lavasa was executed at rates significantly below the market value.
Financial Disclosures:
During the 2004 Indian Election Commission proceedings, Ajit Pawar declared financial assets worth over 3 crore Rupees. However, the specific details and sources of these assets are not provided.
Misappropriation of Funds Allegations:
In September 2012, allegations of misappropriation of funds amounting to ₹70,000 Crores surfaced. These accusations were made by Maharashtra bureaucrat Vijay Pandhare, which led to Anjali Damania demanding Pawar's resignation as a minister. However, the allegations were not substantiated, and Ajit Pawar was reinstated as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Controversial Statement on Water Crisis:
On 7th April 2013, Ajit Pawar made a controversial statement during a speech in Indapur regarding the water crisis. At the time, activists had been fasting for 55 days in protest against the Maharashtra government's failure to provide relief to drought-affected citizens. In an attempt at humor, Pawar remarked, "If there is no water in the dam... Should we urinate into it?" Following significant political and media backlash, he publicly apologized, acknowledging that his statement was a grave mistake.
conclusion
Ajit Pawar who belongs to a political family background and has been trained and groomed by his uncle senior politician Sharad Pawar has resorted to opportunistic politics on several occasions. Ajit proved that anything is possible in politics and there is no place for ideals because politics is an ocean of infinite depth and it is extremely difficult to predict. There is no place left for morality in politics. Every step of politics is taken after seeing the advantages and disadvantages and Ajit Pawar has done the same thing. Do give your comments and reactions in the comment box. Thank you.
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