Over 40 years in Maharashtra politics, major controversies and an unfulfilled ambition

Ajit Pawar was among the rare netas who draw deep respect and are slightly feared by the people. They may not be adored easily and automatically, but once they are, they make their place in people’s esteem. To be sure, Ajit Pawar’s career was shadowed by controversy, but he possessed the political smarts to slip through every net and reclaim his seat at the table, irrespective of the ballot box outcomes, high or low.
Born in 1959 into the politically dominant Pawar family, Ajit Pawar grew up in the shadow of uncle, Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar, already a mass leader when Ajit was learning the grammar of power. Where Sharad Pawar connected with crowds, Ajit mastered the machinery behind them.