NCP's Ajit Pawar is dashing go-getter

Ajit Pawar grew under the tutelage of his uncle Sharad Pawar, but the former has carved a niche in Maharashtra politics early in his life.

In a surprise development, he has come back as Maharashtra deputy chief minister. Ajit Pawar, a former Deputy Chief Minister, has handled several key portfolios like Power, Finance, Water Resources, which brings with him vast experience.

Ajit is a seven-time MLA from Baramati in Pune district. He is son of Anantrao Pawar, the elder brother of Sharad Pawar. Before becoming an MLA, he was an MP from Baramati, but vacated the seat for Pawar, when the latter became the Defence Minister in the PV Narsimha Rao government.

Born on 22 July, 1959, he learnt politics from Pawar and now calls the shots in the 20-year-old party. He is the dashing go-getter in NCP and calls a spade a spade.

The 60-year-old Dada, as he is popularly known, is a no-nonsense administrator but the nephew of NCP founder-President often lands in controversies. When the Congress-NCP government was in power, Ajit Pawar landed in trouble when he said whether he should 'urinate" to fill dams during drought. His name came in the alleged Rs 70,000-crore irrigation scam.

Recently, the uncle-nephew duo were booked in the Rs 25,000 crore Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam, after which he resigned as an MLA and also broke down.

He is married to Sunetra Pawar, who hails form a political family. They have two sons, Parth and Jay. Parth lost the Lok Sabha polls from Maval.