Party lines blur to pay homage to Ajit Pawar

Nagpur: Political rivals, long-time colleagues and civic leaders gathered at Chitnavis Centre on Thursday for an all-party condolence meeting that turned into a collective reflection on the work ethics and administrative discipline of former dyCM Ajit Pawar. The meeting was convened by former home minister and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh, underscoring the cross-party respect Pawar commanded.Among those present were Congress legislative party leader Vijay Wadettiwar, MLA Pravin Datke, MLCs Abhijit Wanjari and Sandeep Joshi, former MPs Vilas Muttemwar, Ajay Sancheti and Vikas Mahatme, former MLAs Sunil Kedar, Ashok Dhawad, Satish Chaturvedi and Dinanath Padole, along with Prakash Gajbhiye, Jogendra Kawade, Kiran Pandav, Satish Harde, Shekhar Sawarbande, Salil Deshmukh and several other leaders and citizens. Representing the NCP (Ajit), city president Anil Ahirkar and others also attended.Speaker after speaker returned to a common theme: Pawar's insistence that public works should never be delayed. He was remembered, in the words of several leaders, as "not merely a political leader but a people's leader in true sense", whose clarity in decision-making and readiness to act set him apart. "He always insisted that the common people's work must be done without delay. That is why people felt he was their own leader," speakers observed, calling his demise "not just a political loss but a deep social loss".Wadettiwar said the news was still difficult to process. "I got the opportunity to work with him in the cabinet and learnt how to get work done from the administration. This is a loss that can never be filled," he said, recalling Pawar's methodical handling of files and time-bound execution.Deshmukh focused on Pawar's punctuality, recounting how officials often rushed to keep pace with his schedule. Muttemwar remarked that seriousness about time is rare in politics, but Pawar was an exception. "His punctuality and his style of resolving issues on the spot made him different," he said.Sancheti described Pawar as "a diamond in politics", recalling personal interactions that revealed a leader who combined firmness with accessibility. Other speakers, including Chaturvedi, Joshi, Kawade and INTUC's Shyam Kale, shared similar memories of Pawar's administrative grip and public engagement left a lasting imprint.The gathering, marked by quiet recollections rather than rhetoric, reflected how Pawar's reputation for discipline and delivery transcended political lines in a city where party affiliations often define public life.