Defying predictions of his political eclipse, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has consolidated his position in the Mahayuti by guiding his party NCP to a spectacular win and retaining his own seat with a huge margin in the Maharashtra assembly polls. More than a year after he rebelled against NCP founder Sharad Pawar, he has now firmly come out of the shadow of his formidable uncle and cemented his place in the state politics. A multiple-time deputy CM under different governments, 65-year-old Ajit Pawar has not concealed his chief ministerial ambitions, but that dream has still remained unfulfilled. Doubts were raised over his political acumen when he fielded his wife Sunetra Pawar against his cousin Supriya Sule, the daughter of NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, from Baramati in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year. Sunetra Pawar lost the election and Ajit Pawar later regretted fielding her against his cousin. However, he has now retained grip of the Baramati assembly constituency,