In a role reversal that came after the change in the Government in Maharashtra, senior NCP leader and former deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was on Monday was elected as the new Leader of Opposition (LoP) of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
The NCP has got the LoP’s post as a natural consequence, as the Sharad Pawar-led now has the largest number of MLAs (53) as against the Congress’ strength of 44 MLAs and Shiv Sena’s reduced strength of 15 MLAs in the in 288–member State Assembly. The Sena earlier had a strength of 55 MLAs.
Earlier, in the NCP’s Legislature party meeting, State party president and state legislature party leader Jayant Patil proposed the name of Pawar for the post of the LoP. The party later proposed Pawar’s name in the House and was elected to the post.
A six-time MLA, one time MP and a commerce graduate Ajitdada – as Ajit Pawar is popularly known in the state political circles – is the nephew of NCP President Sharad Pawar. Ajitdada is the cousin of Baramati MP Supriya Sule, and Rohit R. Pawar, an MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed constituency.
In 62-year-old Maharashtra where there have been nine deputy chief ministers so far, Ajit dada – interestingly enough --had in the past held the DCM’s post record four times—from November 2010 to September 2012, December 2012 to September. 2014, from November 23-28, 2019 and from December 2019 to June 2022. He was the deputy chief minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Ajitdada has long been aspiring to be the chief minister of Maharashtra, a desire he has never hidden.
An aggressive and no-nonsense leader, Ajitdada began his political career under the guidance of his uncle Sharad Pawar by engaging himself in sugar cooperative politics way back in 1982. He was elected to Lok Sabha from Baramati constituency for the first time in 1991, but vacated his LS seat immediately there for his uncle Sharad Pawar who had then become the Defence Minister in the Narasimha Rao government. He was subsequently elected to the State Assembly from Baramati constituency.
Ajitdada was subsequently elected to the State Assembly from Baramati in 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019. He has worked in different governments in the past.
Speaking in the House after assuming the LoP, Ajitdada urged the Speaker togive adequate time to the Opposition to raise issues in the House. “I will assure you that no bill would be passed without healthy discussions,” the new LoP said.