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By his own admission, work was Ajit Pawar’s hobby
He also spoke fondly of music, saying he enjoyed listening to songs by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar whenever possible. Pawar was known to carry multiple mobile phones and stay constantly connected with party workers, officials and political colleagues.
PUNE: Despite being a seasoned full-time politician, Ajit Pawar often said that working hard and staying connected with people was his only hobby.
Whenever asked about his personal interests by journalists, Pawar had a standard reply: “My hobby is work.” He reiterated this recently during interactions with the media in Pune amid the municipal election campaign.
“I like to remain active. I wake up early, watch television news, read newspapers and do some exercise. I keep the television volume high in the morning, so others in the house also wake up early,” Pawar said with a smile at the time.
He also spoke fondly of music, saying he enjoyed listening to songs by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar whenever possible. Pawar was known to carry multiple mobile phones and stay constantly connected with party workers, officials and political colleagues.
Although known for his blunt and often abrasive political style, Pawar was personally soft-spoken with visitors. He regularly instructed his staff to ensure proper hospitality including serving tea to everyone who came to meet him.
In off-the-record conversations with journalists, Pawar admitted that political criticism affected him. “I am also a human being. False allegations hurt,” he said, adding that genuine criticism did not bother him.
He often spoke about the cultural gap between rural and urban communication. “I come from a rural background. In the villages, we speak freely and directly. But in public speeches, I have to be careful because even one sentence can become breaking news,” he once said.
An early riser, Pawar frequently began his tours at 6 am, visiting development projects in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Baramati, often surprising officials with unannounced inspections.
