45 Years In Active Politics: Ajit Pawar’s Political Journey -- A Timeline

Pune: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s untimely demise in a private plane crash in his hometown of Baramati in Pune district has left the entire state in shock. Coming from a family deeply rooted in Maharashtra’s politics and with a political career spanning nearly 45 years, Ajit Pawar bid farewell to the world on Wednesday morning.

Born on July 22, 1959, in Deolali Pravara village of Rahuri tehsil in Ahilyanagar district, Ajit Pawar was 66 years, six months, and six days old at the time of his death. His interest in politics began at a young age. At just 18, he lost his father, Anantrao Pawar -- an event that proved to be a turning point in his life.

Following his father’s death, Ajit Pawar began actively exploring politics and shared his aspirations with his uncle, Sharad Pawar, who was already an established political figure by then. Ajit Pawar’s political debut came in the early 1980s, marking the beginning of a long and influential career. His first major breakthrough came in 1982, when he was elected to the board of a cooperative sugar factory in Baramati.

From then on, he never looked back. Ajit Pawar holds the record for serving the longest non-consecutive terms as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Over the years, he handled multiple key portfolios, including agriculture, power, and several others, while steadily working toward his long-cherished ambition of becoming Chief Minister -- much like his uncle, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Sharad Pawar.

But all the dreams came crashing down on 28th January 2026, when at around 8:44 AM, a business jet carrying Pawar on an air charter flight from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai to Baramati Airport in Maharashtra crashed while attempting a second approach to Baramati Airport Runway 11. The aircraft veered off the runway, burst into flames, and was destroyed on impact, resulting in the deaths of Pawar and four others on board.

Ajit Pawar’s Political Career Timeline:

Ajit Pawar was elected as a Member of Parliament from the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in 1991, winning by a whopping margin of over three lakh votes against the BJP’s Kanta Nalawade. However, he soon resigned from the post and, a few months later in the same year, became a member of the Legislative Assembly from the Baramati Assembly constituency. From 1991 to 2024, Ajit Pawar was consecutively elected from the Baramati constituency nine times.

Following this, Ajit Pawar went on to serve as Deputy Chief Minister and held charge of several key ministerial portfolios, playing a crucial role in major policy decisions of the Maharashtra government. Below is a timeline of his political career:

The Early Years (1982–1990)

- 1982: Started his journey in the cooperative sector, elected to the board of a cooperative sugar factory.

- 1991: Elected Chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank (PDCC), a position he held for 16 years. It helped cement his influence over Western Maharashtra's agrarian economy.

Entry into Legislative Politics (1991–1999)

- 1991: Elected as Member of Parliament (MP) from Baramati but soon resigned to vacate the seat for his uncle, Sharad Pawar.

- 1991: Elected as Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Baramati in a by-election; he would go on to win this seat nine consecutive times.

- 1991–1993: Served as Minister of State for Agriculture and Power in CM Sudhakarrao Naik’s cabinet.

- 1992: Became the Minister of State for Soil Conservation, Power and Planning in 1992 when Sharad Pawar became the Chief Minister

The NCP Era & Rise to Power (1999–2014)

- 1999: Joined the newly formed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) after Sharad Pawar split from the Congress.

- 1999–2009: Held powerful portfolios, including Irrigation, Water Resources, and Rural Development, in successive Congress-NCP coalition governments.

- 2010: Sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister for the first time under CM Prithviraj Chavan.

- 2012: Resigned briefly amid allegations regarding the "Irrigation Scam", alleging him of the infamous Rs 70,000 crore fraud, but was reinstated months later after being "cleared" by a government white paper.

Turbulence & Rebellions (2019–2024)

- Nov 2019 (The 80-Hour Coup): In a dawn ceremony, he took oath as Deputy CM alongside BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis. The government collapsed within three days after he returned to the NCP fold.

- Dec 2019 – 2022: Served as Deputy CM in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government under Uddhav Thackeray.

- July 2023 (The Big Split): Led a major rebellion with 40+ MLAs to join the Eknath Shinde-BJP government. He was sworn in as Deputy CM for the fifth time.

- Feb 2024: The Election Commission of India (ECI) recognised his faction as the "real" NCP, awarding him the "Clock" symbol.

- Dec 2024: After a landslide victory for the Mahayuti alliance in the state elections, he was sworn in for his record-breaking sixth term as Deputy CM.

Final Chapter (2025–2026)

- Late 2025: Began public reconciliation efforts with Sharad Pawar, hinting at a potential merger or reunification of the two NCP factions. Led both factions of the NCP for municipal corporation, Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls until he died in a plane crash in Baramati.

Key Achievements & Records

- Deputy CM Record: Held the post 6 times, the most in Maharashtra’s history.

- Guardian Minister Record: Was Pune District’s Guardian Minister for a cumulative period of over 15 years under multiple governments.

- Budget Mastery: Ajit Pawar presented the Maharashtra State Budget 11 times. This is the highest by any Finance Minister in the last 50 years and the second-highest in the state's history, trailing only Seshrao Wankhede (13 times).

- Leader Beyond Politics: Publicly credited for making Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad cities, irrigation expansions, banking reforms, and so much more.