The sudden death of an influential leader has left a political vacuum in India's richest state. Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, died on Wednesday in a plane crash along with four others.
Maharashtra's political landscape is notoriously complex - a web of shifting alliances, regional loyalties, and rivalries. For decades, Ajit Pawar navigated it with a mixture of pragmatism and shrewdness, swiftly rising through the ranks. Yet, beneath the public triumphs, his journey was also deeply personal: a struggle to emerge out of the formidable shadow of his uncle Sharad Pawar - the founder of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and a dominant figure in Indian politics.
Born in 1959, Ajit Pawar entered politics in the 1980s under his uncle's mentorship, particularly focusing on the Pawar family stronghold of Baramati, a rural area in western Maharashtra where sugar cooperatives, banks, and local institutions helped secure both economic influence and political loyalty. From an early age, he was seen as the uncle's visible heir, determined to forge his own path amidst the complexities of state politics.
While Sharad Pawar was known for his strategic coalition-building, Ajit focused on regional governance and political networks. Despite his key role in the NCP, Ajit felt more like a lieutenant than a leader, leading to tensions that erupted publicly in 2019 when he aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form a government, a move that created a significant family rift.
His eventual return to the NCP did not heal the rift, culminating in a more recent dramatic split in 2023, as Ajit aligned with the BJP once again, taking much of the NCP's identity with him. Yet, his untimely death abruptly halts any potential reconciliation between his faction and that of his uncle, leaving many questions about the future leadership of the party.
Ajit Pawar leaves behind a divided political legacy and a stark reminder of how personal ambitions and familial ties can shape politics in complex and often surprising ways.
