Mumbai, February 23 – Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis led leaders from various parties in paying tributes to the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on the first day of the state legislature's budget session, stating that he was "the best CM the state never had".
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde described the late NCP leader as an "elder brother" and said that Fadnavis, Pawar, and he were like an "equilateral triangle," emphasizing their close relationship.
On January 28, Deputy Chief Minister Pawar and four others died in a plane crash in Pune's Baramati.
In a heartfelt tribute to Pawar in the assembly on the first day of the legislature's budget session, Fadnavis said that the state had lost a prominent leader and administrator.
Pawar's sudden death has created a political vacuum that will never be filled, the CM stated, praising the NCP leader, who is a key member of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi.
"Ajitdada (as Pawar was fondly called) and I share the same birthday, but he was 11 years senior to me. He was truly my Dada," Fadnavis noted.
He said that Ajit Pawar served as deputy chief minister for a record six times and possessed the leadership qualities needed to guide the state.
"Ajitdada was the best CM Maharashtra never had," the senior BJP leader stated.
He added that there were political considerations behind various decisions, and that fate would eventually bring about the desired outcome.
"Ajitdada was always punctual, but unfortunately, this time, things didn't go as planned," Fadnavis said, referring to the plane crash last month.
He also emphasized that Pawar was always honest and straightforward in his dealings.
"Ajitdada was a leader who always honoured his commitments. In 2019, we decided to form a government together. However, this didn't happen because the senior leadership of his party decided to step back. Ajitdada stood by his word, and we formed the government together," Fadnavis recalled, referring to the two-day government formed by Fadnavis in alliance with Pawar before the Maha Vikas Aghadi came to power.
Fadnavis also praised Ajit Pawar as the best finance minister any CM could have asked for. He noted that Pawar would have presented his 12th budget this year, and that next year, he would have broken Sheshrao Wankhede's record of presenting 13 budgets.
Pawar successfully implemented the Ladki Bahin scheme, which provides financial assistance to women, despite reservations from the finance department, the CM said.
Fadnavis also emphasized that the NCP was a strategic partner, while Ajit Pawar was a close friend.
On January 27, Pawar attended cabinet and infrastructure committee meetings and discussed the lack of value addition in capital expenditure. "We never imagined that this would be our last meeting," Fadnavis rued.
In the assembly, Deputy Chief Minister Shinde said that Maharashtra had lost a "staunch, punctual leader and a great friend," and that the House had lost a disciplined and dedicated member.
"Fadnavis, Pawar, and I were like an equilateral triangle; we were all close to each other," Shinde underlined the coordination within the state's leadership.
He likened Pawar to a "jackfruit – thorny (tough) on the outside, but soft and sweet on the inside."
Moving a resolution to pay tributes to the departed leaders, Shinde said that after becoming chief minister (in 2022), he worked closely with Pawar.
"I also worked with him during the MVA tenure and observed his studious nature and command over administration," he said.
Pawar was known for his ability to quickly grasp the importance or shortcomings of a scheme, and he was particularly strict about cleanliness and discipline in governance, he noted.
Shinde also said that when the Ladki Bahin scheme was conceptualized during his tenure as CM, it was Pawar who framed it properly and managed the state's finances so that the state did not face much strain.
Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray described Pawar as a "very close friend" in the Upper House.
Thackeray said that when he became the CM in 2019, he was initially suspicious of Pawar, especially after the latter gave them a "shock" by taking oath with Fadnavis.
"My entire politics was earlier against Pawar's politics, but we came together. I realised, and still believe, that Pawar became a very close friend to me," he said.
Recalling the COVID-19 pandemic period, Thackeray said that it was the then Deputy CM Pawar who ensured that major works continued uninterrupted.
"Pawar was punctual, trustworthy, and efficient," he added.
Referring to Pawar's recent remarks that he had faced allegations of Rs 70,000 crore corruption from those who were now sharing power with him, Thackeray said that there should be a limit to defaming a person for political reasons.
"How much and how long are we going to defame a person for political reasons? There should be some limit to it. We should have some self-regulation. How long are we going to blame a person without verifying the facts?" he asked.
Thackeray further noted that when Pawar was deputy chief minister in the MVA government, those who were in the Opposition later welcomed him when they came to power.
"Any ordinary person would have gone into depression by facing such allegations, but Pawar sailed through it because of his efficient and pro-people work," he said.
Bhaskar Jadhav and Sunil Prabhu (Shiv Sena-UBT) said there are doubts about the plane crash which killed Ajit Pawar.
"There is suspicion that there could be foul play. I feel Sharad Pawar stated that it was an accident and no sabotage; he was taking care that if there was a spark in Baramati, it could spread in the entire state," Jadhav said while speaking on the condolence motion.
Dilip Walse Patil and Hassan Mushrif (NCP) became emotional while paying tribute to the NCP chief.
Nitin Raut of Congress said, "We had our differences of opinion but shared excellent personal relations."