Following Ajit Pawar’s unexpected move of joining the BJP-Shinde Sena government in Maharashtra, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar appointed Jitendra Awhad as the Leader of the Opposition and chief whip in the state assembly. Awhad, a trusted confidante of Sharad Pawar, also assumed the role of Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
Jitendra Awhad, aged 59, has a political career spanning three decades. He has been elected as an MLA from the Mumbra-Kalwa constituency in Thane for three consecutive terms. Awhad has held various ministerial positions in the Maharashtra government, including Cabinet Minister of Medical Education and Horticulture in 2014 under the Prithviraj Chavan-led Democratic Front government, and Housing and Minority Affairs from 2019 to 2022 under the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation.
With a background in Marine Engineering, Awhad pursued postgraduate studies in personnel management from Mumbai University and holds a Doctorate from the same institution. He began his political journey as a student leader, being associated with the National Students Union of India and serving as the President of Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress. When Sharad Pawar founded the NCP, Awhad aligned himself with the party.
During his tenure as a minister, Awhad initiated a program called “Coffee with Students” aimed at addressing and resolving issues faced by medical students across the state. The initiative has covered several cities, including Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Dhule, and Solapur, resulting in effective measures being taken to improve the situation for students and staff.
Jitendra Awhad’s appointment as the Leader of the Opposition is seen as a strategic move by the NCP to maintain a strong opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly after the recent political developments involving Ajit Pawar’s switch to the BJP alliance.