Maharashtra Politics: A look at Ajit Pawar's many revolts against Sharad Pawar-led NCP

Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar became the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the third time in four years on Sunday. The 63-year-old leader has worked with three different CMs since the 2019 elections and made no bones about his willingness to assume the top post. But the 2019 elections were not the beginning of Pawar's conflicts with the NCP and its leaders. 

“We already knew that this was going to happen,” said Uddhav Thackeray Faction MP Sanjay Raut soon after the oath ceremony. Others including Congress MLA Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar appeared to concur even as many marvelled at the abruptness of it all. 

Pawar's clashes with the NCP leadership however are not new. In 2009 for example, he had made waves after coming forward to openly criticise his uncle Sharad Pawar's decisions and leadership style. He is believed to have been eyeing the Deputy CM post at the time but failed to secure the job (it went to now minister Chhagan Bhujbal). Pawar had threatened to resign and it was some time before he reconciled with the party. 

He eventually went on to serve as deputy CM during the 15-year Congress-NCP government under Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan.

ALSO READ: From 'no NCP' to lauding 'triple engine': How CM Eknath Shinde changed stance

More recently, Pawar's relationship with his party has become increasingly turbulent. Having been re-elected from Baramati Assembly constituency with the highest margin of more than 1.65 lakh votes, he had joined hands with the BJP for a short stint as Deputy CM in 2019. 

The government led by BJP's Devendra Fadnavis and Pawar took oath in a hush hush early morning ceremony and ultimately lasted a mere 80 hours - perhaps the shortest term on record. As the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance emerged, Pawar had returned to the party fold.

He served as deputy chief minister in the MVA government led by Thackeray for two and a half years till its dissolution. 

ALSO READ: Ajit Pawar's move reminds Sharad Pawar's 1978 rebellion against Vasantdada Patil

In May this year, before Sharad Pawar announced his short-lived decision to quit as the party chief, Ajit Pawar had visited Delhi to meet the BJP leadership. Reports quoting sources suggested that Supriya Sule's elevation in the party expedited his decision to join the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance.

Last week Pawar had appealed to the party leadership to relieve him of the responsibility of leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly and assign him a role in the party organisation.

(With inputs from agencies)