Baramati: In a touching display of loyalty and grief, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) worker from Nagpur shaved his head at the Nira riverbank in Baramati to pay tribute to late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, whose sudden demise has left supporters across the state in shock. A video of his emotional tribute has gone viral on the internet.
Vilas Zhodape, a party worker from Umred taluka in Nagpur district, had taken a vow ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections that he would not cut his hair until Ajit Pawar became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. For over a year, Zhodape had kept his hair uncut as a symbolic gesture of faith in his leader. However, Pawar’s untimely death meant that the wish remained unfulfilled.
Ajit Pawar's Advice To Zhodape
According to reports, Zhodape had met Ajit Pawar during the Winter Session of the Maharashtra Legislature in Nagpur, where the senior leader noticed his long hair and advised him in his characteristic candid style. Pawar reportedly told him that becoming Chief Minister required political strength and numbers, not symbolic acts and urged him to focus on public service and strengthening the party organisation.
Coincidentally, Zhodape had arrived in Mumbai on the morning of January 28 to meet Ajit Pawar, when news of the fatal plane crash broke. Deeply shaken, he immediately left for Baramati. He also called his wife and two children from Nagpur and the family attended Pawar’s funeral.
Following the last rites, Zhodape performed a head-shaving ritual at the Nira river, dedicating the act to Ajit Pawar’s memory. Speaking to locals, he said that the vow no longer held meaning after the leader’s death and that the act was a final mark of respect to Pawar’s life and work. “The person for whom I took this vow is no longer with us. By shaving my head here, I am offering this sacrifice to Ajit Dada’s legacy,” Zhodape said.
Ajit Pawar's Tragic Death In Baramati Plane Crash
Ajit Pawar, 66, was killed on Wednesday when the chartered aircraft he was aboard crashed while attempting to land near the tabletop runway in Baramati. The plane was carrying two pilots, a crew member, and Pawar’s personal bodyguard. All five people on board died in the crash.
Pawar, a towering figure in Maharashtra politics for over four decades, was known for his strong hold in Baramati and his direct engagement with party workers, a bond that was evident in the outpouring of grief following his death.
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