Chandrakant Patil Not Yet a Punekar? Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar Exchange ‘Friendly’ Remarks

Reported by Varad Bhatkhande
Pune, 1st August 2025: Today, at an event honoring Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who received the Lokmanya Tilak National Award, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar exchanged some ‘over-friendly’ remarks. While Pawar sarcastically targeted Minister Chandrakant Patil, Fadnavis defended Patil and indirectly trolled Ajit Pawar.

All three pillars of the Mahayuti government, CM Devendra Fadnavis, Dy CM Ajit Pawar, and Eknath Shinde, were present, along with other dignitaries, including Cabinet Minister and Kothrud MLA Chandrakant Patil.

During his speech congratulating Nitin Gadkari and praising the legacy of freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak, Ajit Pawar found time to deliver some taunts directed at Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil.

While introductions were ongoing, the female host referred to two leaders, Ajit Pawar and Rohit Tilak, as “Dada,” a term their supporters affectionately use. However, when the host mistakenly omitted Chandrakant Patil, who is also called Dada, she realized her mistake and apologized.

Ajit Pawar then picked up on this and, addressing Patil, said, “Punekars still don’t think of you as their own; they see you as a Kolhapurkar only. The Chief Minister should look into this,” and laughed. To this, Fadnavis, seated nearby, replied, “You were the one who ensured he didn’t become the Guardian Minister of Pune District.” Ajit Pawar responded that it was decided beforehand he would be the Guardian Minister of Pune.

While this might seem like typical political banter, it carries significant context. Chandrakant Patil, originally from Kolhapur, shifted to contest the Kothrud Assembly seat in Pune in 2019 and won. However, there were other contenders within the party for the Kothrud seat who were overlooked in 2019, namely, current Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol and Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni, both now brought into Parliament, which many believe was done to accommodate Patil.

In the 2024 elections as well, Patil initially faced internal opposition, which eventually subsided. He has been frequently criticized by opposition parties in both Kolhapur and Pune for changing his political turf. There were also reports of disagreements between Ajit Pawar and Patil over the role of Guardian Minister after the elections last year, but Pawar retained the position. Before Ajit Pawar joined the Mahayuti government in 2023, Patil had served as Pune’s Guardian Minister. Since then, Pawar has taken over the role, highlighting a clear rivalry.

Noticing the tension, Devendra Fadnavis stepped in during his speech to back Patil, referring to him as Pune’s “second Dada”, one who “doesn’t do dadagiri.” He added, “Some people don’t do dadagiri because that’s their personality,” a statement that praised Patil while taking a subtle jab at Ajit Pawar, known for his assertive leadership style.

Although the exchange was humorous, it reflected deeper political undercurrents. However, the overall atmosphere at the award ceremony remained light, and the public perceived the remarks as friendly banter rather than serious conflict.