Mumbai, Sep 28 (IANS): Eight months after the death of former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) national president and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, his wife Sunetra Pawar on Monday paid an emotional tribute to him at his memorial on the Vidya Pratishthan campus in Baramati.
Addressing supporters and party workers, she recalled his legacy and reaffirmed her commitment to carrying forward his vision for the region and its people.
Visiting the memorial site to pay her respects, Sunetra Pawar, who succeeded her husband as the NCP national president, shared a heartfelt message expressing that the grief of his sudden absence remains deep for both the family and the public.
“Eight months have passed, yet on the lips of every worker and ordinary citizen, there remains only one affectionate word—’ Dada’,” she stated.
“That single word encapsulates their love, trust, and deep bond with him. Today, I stand before his memory carrying these very emotions,” the deputy CM said.
Acknowledging her role following his demise, she emphasised that taking up the responsibility as his companion comes with a singular focus: continuing the human-centric legacy and completing the developmental projects he envisioned.
She reaffirmed her dedication to preserving the personal connection Ajit Pawar, fondly known as ‘Dada’, maintained with the electorate throughout his political career.
Sunetra Pawar, in her recent speech at the party meeting, remembered her late husband and said, “Never in my dreams did I think time would snatch away the biggest support of my life so soon. Though you are not physically with me today, your thoughts, memories, service to the people, discipline, and love will remain alive in my every breath.”
Further, at the Pune District Central Cooperative (PDCC) Bank meeting recently, Sunetra Pawar spoke about the institutional principles and developmental standards established by her late husband, Ajit Pawar, who long guided the bank’s administration.
She emphasised that Ajit Pawar laid down the benchmarks for the growth of the PDCC Bank. She stated that his core focus was always on financial discipline and transparent governance.
“Ajit Pawar paid meticulous attention to the bank’s daily functioning. In changing times, I will maintain that same level of oversight and uphold the parameters set by him to make PDCC the leading rural cooperative bank in the country,” she remarked.
Local community members and political activists gathered at the Vidya Pratishthan premises to offer homage, marking a solemn day of remembrance in the constituency.
NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) working president and MP Supriya Sule also paid tribute to her cousin Ajit Pawar.
In her post on X, she said, “We miss you, Dada.”
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who is Ajit Pawar’s nephew, also took to social media to pay his tribute.
In his post on X, Rohit Pawar said, “This year’s Ganeshotsav felt so empty. But our fight for you has not stopped. That is precisely why today’s press conference is being postponed, considering the countrywide situation regarding the Election Commission and the drought conditions in the state. On October 10th at 11 AM, we will hold this press conference and make disclosures about certain ‘mufflers’…!”
