3 months ago
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Maharashtra leaders connected Monday (February 23, 2026) paid affectional tributes to precocious Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who died successful an aerial clang connected January 28, arsenic the Legislature moved a condolence question connected the opening time of the Budget session.
“Ajit Pawar was the champion Chief Minister Maharashtra ne'er had,” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, recalling their agelong relation archetypal arsenic governmental rivals and aboriginal arsenic colleagues successful the government. He described Mr. Pawar arsenic a susceptible head and a person profoundly passionate astir nationalist life.
Minister Aditi Tatkare, Ajit Pawar’s nephew and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar became visibly affectional portion offering their condolences. Shiv Sena (UBT) person Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena person and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were among those who spoke. Speaker Rahul Narvekar projected that a memorial to Mr. Pawar beryllium acceptable up successful the Legislature.
Young legislators said helium would beryllium done Assembly proceedings until the past code to perceive cautiously to newcomers— a motion they said had meant a large woody to them. Referring to his four-decade-long governmental career, members spoke astir his aboriginal hardships, including losing his begetter astatine a young age, and however that shaped his personality.
“Had helium been around, helium would person presented the Budget for the 12th clip this year, and for the 13th clip adjacent year. He would person breached the grounds of Sheshrao Wankhede, who had presented the State’s fund for a grounds 13 times,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
Political decency
In the Legislative Council, Mr. Thackeray recalled their unexpected confederation successful 2019. “There were 2 mornings which had shocked Maharashtra—one was owed to his enactment (the aboriginal greeting swearing-in ceremonial with the BJP successful 2019), and the different owed to his demise,” helium said.
He said, “Ajit Pawar had precocious said that helium was sitting successful powerfulness with those who had accused him of ₹70,000 crore corruption. Why americium I saying this? We thin to harass radical erstwhile they are live but praise them erstwhile they are gone. The speciality of Ajit Pawar was that helium did not get frustrated owed to specified allegations. Had it been idiosyncratic else, that idiosyncratic would person killed himself. Ajit Pawar responded to each the allegations done his work,” Mr. Thackeray said. He appreciated the precocious person for his enactment during the COVID-19 period.
Calling his decease a “big loss” for Mr. Thackeray compared it to the passing of leaders specified arsenic Pramod Mahajan, Gopinath Munde and R. R. Patil.
Political vacuum
Mr. Fadnavis said the decease of Ajit Pawar had created a governmental vacuum that could ne'er beryllium filled. “The decease of a existent person isn’t conscionable a governmental loss, but profoundly personal,” helium said.
Speaking for implicit an hour, the CM described Mr. Pawar arsenic disciplined, detail-oriented and tireless, often opening to enactment astatine 6 a.m. He recalled the events of January 27, a time earlier Mr. Pawar’s death, and the meetings they had reviewed together.
He spoke of however the 2 leaders were bully friends for implicit a decade. “After 2014, determination was an affectional enslaved betwixt us. He was a strategical spouse for us. Our narration stayed beardown thereafter,” helium said.
Against spiritual divide
Congress person Vijay Waddettiwar said Mr. Pawar stood against the BJP’s ‘batenge to katenge’ communicative contempt being successful powerfulness with the saffron party, and supported colleagues from number communities.
“He stood against immoderate favoritism based connected caste and religion. He resigned with tears successful his eyes erstwhile ED served a announcement to Sharad Pawar. He had mislaid his begetter astatine a precise young age. He ever had a consciousness of responsibility,” helium said.
‘A antheral who stood by his word’
Mr. Fadnavis besides revisited the arguable 2019 swearing-in ceremonial erstwhile Ajit Pawar had breached distant from Sharad Pawar to instrumentality the oath of bureau arsenic the Deputy Chief Minister with the BJP. “We saw however a person stood by his word. But erstwhile the Supreme Court determination went against us, helium asked maine what should beryllium done? After discussing with maine astatine Varsha, helium changed his decision. He needed to safeguard the aboriginal of those who had travel with him. There was transparency successful his personality,” helium said.
“He wasn’t conscionable a personality; helium was a enactment strategy for an full generation. From agriculture to allied sectors, his enactment was rooted successful the grassroots. He faced struggles, but ne'er ran away. Whenever helium thought thing was wrong, helium ne'er hesitated to apologise publicly,” Mr Fadnavis said.
