The Smiling Duo on Display
Traveling from Mumbai to Pune this past week, one couldn’t miss Ajit Dada Pawar’s smiling face on hoardings at key junctions. What caught everyone’s eye was one particular flex—featuring not just Ajit Pawar but also a beaming Devendra Fadnavis, with the caption: “This pair isn’t breaking up!”
It’s quite the coincidence in Maharashtra politics that both Fadnavis and Pawar celebrate their birthdays on the same date—July 22. Given that the monsoon session of the state legislature often extends into the third week of July, the two have even celebrated their birthdays together by cutting cakes in the Vidhan Bhavan. That said, Fadnavis is not one for grand birthday celebrations. When he was appointed BJP’s Maharashtra state president in 2012-13, and his followers wanted to celebrate in a big way, he issued a directive prohibiting grand events, posters, and birthday hoardings.
Ajit Dada’s followers, on the other hand, have long celebrated his birthday with great fanfare—and that tradition continues. The birthday connection has now extended into a genuine political partnership. In recent years, their political paths and ideologies have aligned significantly. The duo seems firmly in place for now.
A Historical Contrast
This natural alignment is a stark contrast to another birthday pair—Sharad Pawar and the late BJP stalwart Gopinath Munde—who shared a birthday on December 12 but were lifelong political adversaries. Despite sharing this cosmic coincidence, the two rarely saw eye to eye. When Pawar was CM, Munde was the leader of the opposition, launching scathing attacks on the government. Interestingly, both Pawar and Munde had good personal and political equations with Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi, whose birthday fell on December 2.
An Enduring Political Bond
Today, Fadnavis is Deputy CM and Ajit Dada is also Deputy CM—a combination Maharashtra has seen before. Back in November 2019, they formed a short-lived government with Fadnavis as CM and Pawar as his deputy, which lasted barely three days. The next major political shake-up came in June 2022, when Eknath Shinde broke away from Shiv Sena, became CM, and Fadnavis took the deputy role.
Then in 2023, major developments rocked the NCP, and Ajit Dada became Deputy CM for a fifth time. In fact, between 2019 and 2024—within the same legislative term—he has been Deputy CM three times, each time under a different Chief Minister. That’s a record in itself. Even between 2009 and 2014, he served as Deputy CM thrice, under two different CMs—Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan. He briefly resigned due to the CAG report controversy but returned within months. Now in 2024, he's holding the office for the sixth time.
Given the current political stability and absence of any major upheaval expected until 2029, it seems unlikely that the Dada-Fadnavis pair will split.
The Personality Factor
Ajit Dada is known for punctuality and relentless focus on work, much like his uncle Sharad Pawar. His day starts at dawn. When Dada visits Pune, officials reportedly prepare from as early as 5 am, as he is known to inspect development sites by 6 am. This trait isn’t restricted to one region—bureaucrats across the state have witnessed it.
One telling moment: When he was Deputy CM in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government and Aaditya Thackeray was the Guardian Minister of Mumbai, the duo visited Worli at 7 am to inspect flyover beautification work. Dada’s early start even had Aaditya present at 6 am—an unusual hour for the Thackeray scion, leaving local Shiv Sainiks surprised.
Stars and Signs
Interestingly, both Dada and Fadnavis fall under the Cancer zodiac sign—born on July 22—known for emotional intelligence and strong family bonds. However, Dada also displays traits of Leo, which begins on July 23: bold, commanding, and leadership-driven. Both leaders are family-oriented, approachable, and forthright—yet their natural charisma and leadership set them apart.
The Third Player
Eknath Shinde, the third significant figure in the current power triangle, was born on February 9, placing him under the Aquarius sign. Aquarians are known for unpredictability, intelligence, and strategic thinking—traits that Shinde has demonstrated, particularly in his stunning political coup in 2022.
All three leaders—Fadnavis (BJP), Pawar (NCP), and Shinde (Shiv Sena)—command strong influence over their respective parties. Their coordination appears solid, even if they occasionally bear the burden of their party members' missteps. Still, by and large, the Mahayuti government appears to be functioning smoothly.
Of course, what destiny—or Delhi—has in store remains unknown. Fadnavis could very well be called to a central role post-2027. And if so, his loyalists ask: why not elevate Dada to the CM’s chair? Among the current crop of potential CMs, Dada seems the most capable—firmly within the ruling coalition and with a reputation for performance and integrity.
But again, these are all hypothetical scenarios.
Conclusion
As of now, the government looks set to last till 2029. The opposition’s numbers are too weak to pose a real challenge—nearly 75% of MLAs support the current government. With Fadnavis and Dada firmly aligned and backed by Shinde’s power base, there’s no visible reason for the alliance to fall apart.
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