Prithviraj Chavan

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Prithviraj Dajisaheb Chavan is an Indian National Congress politician who served as the 17th Chief Minister of Maharashtra from November 2010 to September 2014. A trained engineer, he studied at BITS Pilani (Bachelor of Engineering) and earned a Master of Science from the University of California, Berkeley. He worked in the United States on defense electronics before returning to India and starting a business in 1974.

Chavan entered national politics after meeting Rajiv Gandhi. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Karad in 1991 and served until 1999. He later was a Member of the Rajya Sabha representing Maharashtra from 2002 to 2010. In the UPA government, he held the role of Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and handled portfolios including Parliamentary Affairs, Personnel and Public Grievances, Pensions, and Administrative Reforms.

Known as a technocrat with a clean, low-profile image, Chavan became Maharashtra’s chief minister after Ashok Chavan resigned. His term lasted until 2014 when the ruling alliance split. In 2024, he contested the Karad South Assembly seat but lost to BJP candidate Atulbaba Suresh Bhosale.

Personal details: he is married to Satvasheela Chavan, with a daughter Ankita and a son Jai. He comes from a political family; his father, Dajisaheb Chavan, was a long-time MP and minister, and his mother Premala was also active in politics. Chavan’s early education took place in Karad and Delhi before his engineering studies and time in the United States.