Ajit Pawar, deputy to four different CMs, returns to the post for his 6th term
Ajit Pawar, a six-time deputy CM of Maharashtra, aims for the chief minister's role amid political ups and downs, reaffirming his commitment to governance
MUMBAI: It helps to have a sense of humour when you dream of the chief minister’s job and come in second, not once, not twice but six times. Ajit Pawar, 65, has openly declared that his ambition is to become chief minister of Maharashtra will take oath as the deputy CM once again on Thursday.

Pawar, known to be a sharp administrator who leant his political chops under the tutelage of his uncle Sharad Pawar first became deputy chief minister in 2010 when Congress’s Prithviraj Chavan was chief minister. His second stint as deputy CM was again as part of the Congress-NCP alliance in 2012, and once again under Chavan’s chief ministership. Both times the Congress was the dominant partner and which was why Ajit dada had to settles for the deputy’s job.
He saw his opportunity to break free in 2019 when the BJP-Shiv Sena split and Devendra Fadnavis tried to cobble together a hasty coalition with Ajit and a few breakaway MLAs from the NCP in the early hours of November 23, 2019. But that government last a mere 80 hours before Sharad Pawar convinced Ajit Pawar to return to the party-fold and formed the MVA. Yet again, Ajit Pawar had to be content being deputy CM but this time under Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership.
Last year, he split the NCP and joined the Mahayuti coalition where he was once again appointed as deputy chief minister along with Devendra Fadnavis under the leadership of Eknath Shinde who had been a minister in the MVA when Ajitdada was deputy CM.
The tradition of having a deputy chief minister in Maharashtra goes back to 1978, when Nashikrao Tirpude was appointed to the post. He lasted only five months — from March 5, 1978 to July 18, 1978 – and was succeeded by Sundarrao Solanke, who was deputy CM for a year and nine months, until February 2, 1980.
Ramrao Adik became the state’s third deputy chief minister on February 2, 1983, for 25 months. In 1995, a Shiv Sena-BJP government was at the helm in Maharashtra for the very first time, and BJP heavyweight Gopinath Munde bagged the position as the state’s fourth deputy CM. Munde and his government completed their five-year term.
In 1999, the Congress and NCP shared power in a coalition government for the first time, with Chhagan Bhujbal being appointed deputy CM. He remained in the position till December 2003, before being replaced by Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil for a brief nine months.
In November 2004, RR Patil became deputy CM for over four years. He resigned in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attack in 2008. He was replaced by Bhujbal, who was deputy CM until November 10, 2010. Bhujbal was replaced by Ajit Pawar, who has since been deputy CM a record six times.
When he was appointed in November 2010, Ajit Pawar had stymied his uncle’s Sharad Pawar’s plan to give the post to the party’s heavyweight Chhagan Bhujbal. However, in a surprise move, Ajit resigned in September 2012, when he was implicated in the irrigation scam worth ₹70,000 crore. He returned three months later, with a “clean chit” from the then Congress-NCP government led by Prithviraj Chavan.
Ajit Pawar has flirted with controversy many times but the eight-time MLA from Baramati enjoys a wide following among legislators and cadres alike. An expert in electoral management and a resourceful leader, he has mentored many MLAs and is known to be a keen administrator.
It seemed like the end of the road for Ajit Pawar just four months ago when his party won only After facing a debacle in the Lok Sabha elections in May this year, where the NCP won a single Lok Sabha seat but since then he has scripted a remarkable comeback winning 41 seats and securing his place in the winning alliance.
Sanjay Tatkare, NCP spokesperson, said that although the party is proud to see Ajit Pawar becoming deputy chief minister for a sixth time, they would prefer to see him as chief minister after five years. “Ajitdada has been active in politics since 1991 and is connected to the people of Maharashtra. Except for home department, he has handled almost all other portfolios, and his command over administration is unparalleled. We will work hard to see him as chief minister of Maharashtra next,” Tatkare told HT.
But no one realises the vagaries of politics better than Ajit Pawar himself. On Tuesday when he and Shinde were asked about accepting the CM’s post, Ajit Pawar eagerly confirmed that he had accepted the deputy chief minister’s position in the new government. “I don’t know about him, but I am on as deputy CM.”

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