I am Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar speaking...
Death is not the end, it is just a stop. In a person's chaotic journey. Standing here and looking back, life becomes clear. The noise of power, the crowd of meetings, the sound of slogans all fade away. What remains is just the person... and their story of deeds.
When I came into politics, I did not come with a great philosophy. Circumstances, heritage, responsibility—all these shaped me. Decisions were made, some turned out right, some wrong. But I can definitely say that behind every decision, in my own way, I considered Maharashtra. Gaining power is not easy, but it takes time to realize how much a person loses themselves while maintaining it.
People called me strict, some stubborn, some opportunistic. Perhaps they weren't wrong. I learned that you can't be soft in politics. But sometimes, in this strictness, humanity gets scratched, and it takes courage to stand here and admit it. Some words could have been taken back, some decisions could have been stopped, I feel now. I talked about development—water, roads, agriculture, industry. Some work was visible, some remained behind. Credit was taken, and blame also fell on me. But if there was even a slight difference in people's lives, that is my satisfaction. Because in the end, it's not files, not speeches. Memories of people remain.
I was never perfect when it came to relationships. In politics, family, friendship, and loyalty are tested daily. Some I won, some I lost. Some people drifted away, some stayed until the end. Now I understand. Preserving people is more difficult and more important than power. I came into politics, fought, lost-won—but in the end, only the memory of people remains. Responsibility is greater than power, I realized this late. My mistakes are mine, my work was also for the people. Differences will remain, criticism will happen, but the love for Maharashtra was always there. The next ones should listen more, shout less—and keep the people at the center. Everything else is temporary
To those who come after me, I have only one thing to say:
Engage in politics by listening, not shouting.
Opponents are not enemies.
The public is not just voters—they are your responsibility.
Power is a means, not an end. And ego is the greatest enemy—it is not realized in life, but becomes very clear after death. Standing here today, if I have to apologize to anyone, it would be to the common man—whose expectations I could not fulfill. And if I have to express gratitude, it would be to the people—who trusted me for so many years, asked questions, criticized, and yet kept democracy alive.
My life was incomplete, controversial, but not hollow. How history will remember me is not in my hands. But my love for Maharashtra, let that be my true identity—this is my only wish. Everything else… time will decide.