Devendra Fadnavis takes oath as chief minister, with Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar sworn in as deputy chief ministers, during the ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders in Mumbai on December 5, 2024. Pic/Ashish Rane

Pawar and Eknath Shinde at the Mahayuti rally led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Shivaji Park, Dadar, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Pic/Rane Ashish

Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, Fadnavis, and 15 supporting MLAs meet NCP chief Sharad Pawar at YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai. Praful Patel of Ajit Pawar’s faction confirmed his attendance at the NDA meeting in Delhi on July 18, 2023. Pic/Ashish Raje

Then Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, along with Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, held a press conference at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai ahead of the monsoon session of the state legislature on July 16, 2023. Pic/Ashish Raje

Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, along with NCP faction leader Praful Patel, during a meeting of his faction of NCP leaders in Mumbai in July 2023. Pic/ Ashish Raje

Ajit Pawar and Sunil Tatkare at the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Silver Jubilee celebrations held at Shanmukhanand Auditorium on June 21, 2023. Pic/Ashish Raje

NCP leaders Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar, and Chhagan Bhujbal outside YB Chavan Centre, calming party workers after president Sharad Pawar resigned following his book launch on May 2, 2023. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

NCP leaders Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar, and Chhagan Bhujbal outside YB Chavan Centre, managing party workers’ reactions after Sharad Pawar resigned as president following his book launch on May 2, 2023. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Ajit Pawar at the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ‘Vajramuth’ rally in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, on May 1, 2023, held to defend the constitution on Maharashtra Day. Pic/Rane Ashish

Ajit Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray at the expansion of the ministry and swearing-in ceremony of cabinet and state ministers at Vidhan Bhavan on December 30, 2019. PIC/ Mid-Day photographer

Pruthviraj Chuhan (Congress), Ajit Pawar (NCP), and Ashok Chavan (Congress) at a press conference with NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge, Venugopal, and others after a meeting at YB Chavan Centre on November 12, 2019. Pic/Ashish Raje

Ajit Pawar with his uncle Sharad Pawar. PIC/ Mid-Day photographer

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray, Congress state president Balasaheb Thorat, NCP state president Jayant Patil, Raju Shetty of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, and NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal at a press conference at MIG, Mumbai, following an urgent opposition meeting on EVM concerns and election strategy in 2019. Pic/Ashish Raje

Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, RR Patil, and other ministers at the budget session tea party held at Sahyadri Guest House, Mumbai, on March 9, 2013. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Brother and sister moment: Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule, daughter of Sharad Pawar, share a friendly chat on stage during the launch of the Yuvati (Young Girls) seminar organized by NCP at Shanmukhanand Hall, Matunga, on July 10, 2012. Pic/Rane Ashish