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Jitendra Awhad

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Jitendra Awhad
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
(Maharashtra Legislative Assembly)
Assumed office
3 August 2023
Serving with Ajay Choudhari
Governor
Chief Minister
Deputy CM
Leader of the Opposition
Speaker of the House
Preceded by
Leader of the Opposition
Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
In office
2 July 2023 – 18 July 2023
Governor
Deputy
Chief Minister
Deputy CM
Speaker of the House
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Cabinet Minister
Government of Maharashtra
In office
30 December 2019 – 29 June 2022
Minister
Governor
Chief Minister
Deputy CM
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Cabinet Minister
Government of Maharashtra
In office
29 May 2014 – 26 September 2014
Minister
Governor
Chief Minister
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
Assumed office
2009
Preceded byConstituency Established
ConstituencyMumbra-Kalwa
Personal details
Born
Jitendra Satish Awhad

(1963-08-05) 5 August 1963 (age 61)[1]
Nashik, Maharashtra, India
Political partyNationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) (2024-present)
SpouseRuta Awhad
ChildrenNatasha Awhad
ParentSatish Awhad (Father)
ResidenceThane
Alma materMumbai University
OccupationPolitician

Jitendra Satish Awhad is a senior leader and Indian politician from Maharashtra. Previously he served as a member of legislative council of Maharashtra from 2002 to 2009. Currently he is Deputy Leader of the Opposition Maharashtra Legislative Assembly serving with Ajay Choudhari and currently a Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for 3 terms representing Mumbra-Kalwa in Thane. He has previously served as the Acting Leader of the Opposition Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and he has previously served as Cabinet Minister of Medical Education and Horticulture in 2014 and Housing and Minority Affairs from 2019 to 2022. He belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party.[2]

Early life and education

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Jitendra Awhad was born to Smt. Lilavati and Shri Satish Awhad. He went to St. John the Baptist High School, Thane. In 1981 he enrolled in B.N Bandodkar College as a science graduate. While in college, he was chosen as Gymkhana Secretary, and further went on to become the secretary of the All-India Students' Organization, a non-political outfit. Awhad started standing up for social causes early on launching a campaign against rising tuition fees in Mumbai University in 1982. After completing his Marine Engineering Studies in 1984–85, he undertook a post graduate degree in personnel management from Mumbai University. Awhad also holds a Doctorate from Mumbai University, the thesis being "The History of Socio-Religious Movement in Maharashtra, a Sub-Alternate View".

Personal life

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Awhad believes that Sanatan Dharma is not Hinduism and he asks everyone to maintain the secular nature of India.[3]

Formation of Nationalist Congress Party

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In 1999, after the 12th Lok Sabha was dissolved and elections to the 13th Lok Sabha were called, Sharad Pawar, P. A. Sangma, and Tariq Anwar demanded that the party needed to propose someone native-born as the prime ministerial candidate and not the Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, who had entered party politics and replaced Sitaram Kesri as Congress president. In response, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) expelled the trio for six years from the party.[4]

In response Pawar and Sangma along with Tariq Anwar founded the Nationalist Congress Party in June 1999. Despite the falling out, the new party aligned with the Congress party to form a coalition government in Maharashtra after the 1999 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election to prevent the Shiv Sena-BJP combine from returning to power.

In politics

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After the formation of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Awhad was elected as the first National President of Youth NCP in 1999. From here he entered mainstream politics and was elected as MLC in 2002. He was re-elected as an MLC in March 2008 for a five-year term. In 2009 he contested his first ever elections and secured victory with a considerable margin from the Mumbra-Kalwa (Vidhan Sabha constituency).

In May 2014 he was inducted into the Prithviraj Chavan ministry as the Minister of Medical Education, Horticulture, Employment Guarantee. As Minister of Horticulture of Maharashtra state, Dr. Jitendra Awhad gained popularity when he proposed Amitabh Bachchan's name for being the brand ambassador for the state horticulture; encourage farmers, promote their produce and ensure quality for consumers. In July 2014 Amitabh Bachchan was appointed Maharashtra's horticulture brand ambassador.[5]

Dr. Jitendra Awhad started an initiative called “Coffee with Students” to connect and resolve issues of medical students across the state. In the first month alone, cities like Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Dhule, Solapur have been covered and effective measures have been taken to improve the situations for students and staff.

In 2019 he was inducted into the Thackeray ministry as the Minister of Housing. In March 2022 after the departure of Nawab Malik from the cabinet, Awhad was appointed the Minister of Minority Development & Aukaf.

Amid the 2023 Political Crisis in The Nationalist Congress Party, Awhad was appointed Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra legislative assembly and Chief party whip post Ajit Pawar's resignation and appointment as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Controversies

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Dr. Jitendra Awhad being a public figure has also been subject of few controversial incidents. He was accused of assaulting a civil engineer named Anant Karmuse on 5 April 2020.[6] Dr. Awhad has also been booked for allegedly insulting remarks on the Sindhi Community during a party function in Ulhasnagar on 27 May 2020.[7]

References

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  1. ^ शेतकऱ्यांना लाखमोलाचा दिलासा (PDF). dgipr.maharashtra.gov.in. p. 17. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  2. ^ "NCP MLA Jitendra Ahwad drags Arnab Goswami, Times Now into Rs 100 cr defamation suit". Firstpost. 5 November 2016. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  3. ^ "NCP General Secretary Jitendra Awhad writes: Sanatan Dharma is not Hinduism".
  4. ^ Kidwai, Rasheed (2011). Sonia: A Biography. New Delhi: Penguin Books.
  5. ^ Gadgil, Makarand (6 June 2014). "Amitabh Bachchan to promote Maharashtra's orchards". Livemint. Archived from the original on 28 August 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  6. ^ "4th chargesheet filed in Awhad assault case". The Times of India. 24 May 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  7. ^ "NCP's Jitendra Awhad booked by Thane police for remarks against Sindhi community". MSN. Retrieved 1 June 2023.