PA to MLA: The journey of Devendra Fadnavis's aide and peers

PUNE: Vidhan Bhavan is not new to Sumit Wankhede , as he has been walking up and down its corridors for years. When Wankhede re-enters the state assembly building this time, he will be in a new avatar.

Once a personal assistant to deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis , Wankhede's new identity in Vidhan Bhavan will be that of an MLA after his first poll victory from Arvi constituency in Wardha district in the just-concluded assembly election.

Wankhede is, however, not the only PA to enjoy such an elevation in profile. Abhimanyu Pawar, another PA of Fadnavis, will also be part of the state assembly after getting elected from Ausa in Latur district.

Unlike Wankhede and Pawar, Balaji Khatgaokar, who worked as PA to Eknath Shinde when he was the CM, could not win from Mukhed constituency in Nanded district and failed to enter the assembly.

Wankhede, with a postgraduate degree in governance from a private college in Pune, was associated with Fadnavis for over a decade. Apart from administrative work, he worked in the field and was in charge of BJP's Lok Sabha elections in Wardha. He defeated Mayura Amar Kale of NCP (SP) by around 39,000 votes in this assembly election.

"It is an added advantage for administrative people and bureaucrats like us. Since we already have experience working in the administration, it helps us deal with day-to-day work. We can easily navigate through complex administrative systems," Wankhede told TOI.

Abhimanyu Pawar, another personal secretary of Fadnavis, was a successful first-timer in the 2019 election. He defeated Congress's Basavraj Patil on the Ausa seat by over 26,000 votes. In the 2024 election, Pawar was against Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Dinkar Mane and won by around 33,000 votes from the same constituency.

"The administrative works at the CM's office have given us exposure at the state level. This exposure also helps us at the constituency-level planning and works. We learn the style of functioning of our leaders in organising meetings and executing works," Pawar said, adding that contacts developed within the bureaucracy and also opposition politicians ensured better coordination.

Among the prominent PAs who had in the past became MLAs was Dilip Walse Patil, a minister in the outgoing cabinet. About four decades ago, Walse Patil worked as PA to Sharad Pawar, who was then with Congress.

Besides becoming MLAs, there have been instances of PAs securing berths in the state legislative council as well. One of them is Milind Narvekar, who worked as PA to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and entered the council after the election in July this year.

Shrikant Bhartiya, an OSD to Devendra Fadnavis during his tenure as CM, went on to bag a berth in the legislative council in 2022.