Vijay Shivtare, Shiv Sena MLA from Purandar and one of the few politicians whom late NCP leader Ajit Pawar had publicly promised to end politically in 2019, talks to VALLABH OZARKAR about their long rivalry, their eventual reconciliation and their last meeting a few days before Pawar’s death.
The sudden demise of Ajit Pawar has left me deeply shocked. What happened on Wednesday was a complete shock. For some time I couldn’t even believe the news. I felt like someone in my own family had passed away.
His passing away is not only a personal loss but also a loss to Maharashtra. Ajit Pawar was an asset to the State, not just his party. With his tragic and untimely demise, Maharashtra has lost a leader whose absence will be felt for a long time. This loss is irreparable.
When you listen to his speeches today, you understand the maturity, clarity of thought and long-term vision he had for the development of the state. As soon as I heard about the incident, I rushed to Baramati and stayed there until the funeral. When one sees Baramati and the scale of development there, from the medical school he was taken to after his passing to many other projects, one realizes the depth and impact of his work. It speaks for itself.
Although we had become political rivals in recent years, there were never any personal differences or fights between us. We share a good personal relationship. Our disagreements were always political and issue-based. There were differences of opinion, but not differences of heart.
All the statements we made against among themselves during the elections they were politicians. One thing must be said unequivocally. He never held any personal grudge against me.
During the recent Lok Sabha elections, when I went to Baramati to campaign for Sunetra Pawar, he openly said from the stage: “So far, everyone has seen the empathy between Vijay Shivtare and me. From now on, Maharashtra will see our friendship.” That one statement reflected the person he was. Political rivalry never translated into personal bitterness.
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Just four or five days before his death, I met him at Sahyadri Guest House. Bombay. He stopped to talk to me, asking me about my health and urging me to take my kidney treatment seriously. He asked me to have a transplant and asked me how long I would stay on dialysis. When I mentioned the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections, he told me, “The elections will still be held. Take care of your health first.”
That was his nature. Compassionate, even toward political rivals. He never carried resentment.
I started my political career in the NCP from its inception in 1999 and I have known Ajit Pawar personally since then. In 2004, when the NCP did well in elections, I was among those who demanded that he be appointed Chief Minister.
In the late 2000s, I joined the Shiv Sena and began building the party’s base in Purandar, which borders Baramati, a region where the Pawar family has traditionally wielded influence. At that time, Purandar was lagging behind in his development, and I often raised the issue that while Baramati was progressing rapidly, Purandar was being neglected. This became the core of our political disagreement.
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However, even when he was Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister in a Congress-led government, and I was in the opposition criticizing him, he ensured that Purandar received the necessary financial support. There was no discrimination.
In 2014, I campaigned for the BJP candidate in the region, which led to the defeat of the NCP candidate. In 2019, when his son Parth Pawar contested the Lok Sabha elections from Baramati, I campaigned aggressively and he lost. Those developments angered him and he publicly declared that he would ensure that he did not win the 2019 Assembly elections, which ultimately happened.
However, despite these episodes, every time we met, he spoke with warmth, respect and concern. The rivalry never developed into personal hospitality.
During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, I filed my nomination against Sunetra Pawar, but withdrew it after the intervention of Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis. At that time, Ajit Pawar assured me that the development works in Purandar would be completed. He kept that promise.
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In essence, my relationship with Ajit Pawar was marked by strong political rivalry and mutual respect. We challenged each other fiercely in public life and were often on opposite sides of the political divide. Behind that rivalry, however, was a shared understanding that politics should never become personal.
Maharashtra has lost a great leader who understood that line and honored it.