'Created A Void, Extremely Unfortunate': Uddhav, Raj Thackeray Condole Death Of Ajit Pawar

(MENAFN- IANS) Mumbai, Jan 28 (IANS) Shiv Sena-UBT chief and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressed grief over death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, saying that he has lost a steadfast leader and an excellent colleague from his cabinet.

"When I was the Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar was the Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister. He was an extremely disciplined leader with a firm grip on his department and a deep understanding of the Finance Department. We developed a special bond as excellent colleagues. Ajit Pawar was open-hearted. He would speak his mind. He was not one to hold grudges for long. Even though he chose a different path in politics, he did not let our relationship break," Uddhav Thackeray said.

"In Maharashtra, he was popular as 'Dada.' I never thought he would leave so soon. He was known as a leader who cherished his workers. His departure has created a void in the state's leadership. In every sense, he was truly 'Dada.' On behalf of myself, 'Thackeray,' and the Shiv Sena family, my heartfelt tribute to Dada."

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray said Maharashtra has lost an outstanding leader.

"Ajit Pawar and I entered politics around the same time, though our acquaintance came much later. But on the strength of his sheer passion for politics, Ajit Pawar took great strides in Maharashtra's political arena. Though Ajit Pawar was a leader forged in the mould of (NCP founder Sharad) Pawar Saheb, he later carved out his own independent identity. And he imprinted that identity in every nook and corner of Maharashtra," he said.

According to Raj Thackeray, in the 1990s, urbanization gained momentum in Maharashtra. Rural areas began tilting toward semi-urbanisation, yet the tone of politics there remained rural, even as the nature of their issues started turning somewhat urban. "Ajit Pawar had a complete grasp of this kind of politics and the skill to handle it adeptly. Pimpri Chinchwad and Baramati are two excellent examples of that. Whether it was Pimpri Chinchwad or Baramati, Ajit Dada transformed these regions in ways that even his political opponents would acknowledge," he said.

"He was a leader with a precise grip on administration and an exact knowledge of where to untangle the knots in a file to resolve it. In an era when administration must rise above those in power, it is extremely tragic that Maharashtra has lost such a leader. Ajit Pawar was remarkably straightforward. If something couldn't be done, he'd say it to your face, and if it could, he'd put all his energy into it. Deceiving people by making promises and surrounding himself with crowds wasn't his style. In politics, one has to pay a price for straightforwardness and candour-- I know that from experience, and one can imagine how much Ajit Pawar must have had to pay for it," he remarked.

"Another quality of Ajit Pawar that I admired was that he was utterly free of caste bias, and caste had absolutely no place in his politics. In today's politics, leaders who demonstrate the courage to engage without regard for caste are dwindling, and Ajit Pawar was undoubtedly at the forefront among them. Opposition in politics is political, not personal. That's why leaders in Maharashtra who keep in mind that poisonous criticism of each other shouldn't be taken personally are becoming fewer. The successive departure of generous opponents from politics is a great loss to Maharashtra's fine political tradition," he said.

"My family and I share in the grief of the Pawar family. On behalf of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, heartfelt tribute to Ajit Pawar," he added.

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