Ajit Pawar Gets Emotional Recalling Rajiv Gandhi's Role in His First MP Win

• Maharashtra's 29 municipal corporation elections are underway, with voting on Jan 15 and counting on Jan 18, amidst disarray in both MahaYuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances.
• Deputy CM Ajit Pawar became emotional in Pimpri-Chinchwad, recalling Rajiv Gandhi's crucial role in his first Lok Sabha candidacy in 1991.
• Pawar stated that Rajiv Gandhi and Sharad Pawar showed faith in him, giving him the Baramati ticket despite his lack of significant identity at the time.
• He won the 1991 Baramati Lok Sabha election by a massive margin of over 3.36 lakh votes, with Pimpri-Chinchwad contributing over 35,000 votes.
• Ajit Pawar resigned as MP within six months to allow Sharad Pawar, then Defense Minister, to contest and win the Baramati by-election, after which Ajit Pawar returned to state politics.

Why It Matters: Ajit Pawar's emotional recollection highlights Rajiv Gandhi's pivotal role in his political debut.