Ajit Pawar’s death has drawn renewed attention to the Pawar family, one of the most powerful political clans in Maharashtra, and the deep divisions that now run through it. For decades, the family shaped politics in western Maharashtra through control of cooperatives, sugar factories and the Nationalist Congress Party. Ajit Pawar what seen for a long time as Sharad Pawar’s natural successor. His breakup with his uncle not only divided the party; It also divided the family, changing the course of one of the most powerful political households in the state.
The family’s political roots date back to Govindrao and Shardabai Pawar, whose 11 children went on to develop influence in politics, business and public life. At the center of the family’s rise was Sharad Pawar, who became one of the state’s highest leaders. His nephew Ajit Pawar later emerged as his political heir, before parting ways and dividing both the party and the family.
Old archive image of Ajit Pawar
Govindrao and Shardabai Pawar had 11 children, including seven sons and four daughters. His political influence came mainly from Shardabai Pawar, who was active in the Peasants and Workers Party and later in the Congress. In 1938, she was elected unopposed to the Pune local board and was one of the few women in district politics at the time.
Critical timeline: VT-SSK, Learjet 45 aircraft, January 28, 2026
Take off: Learjet 45 leaves Mumbai airport
5 on board: Pawar, PSO Jadhav, assistant Mali, pilots Kapoor and Pathak
Plane tracked on Mumbai-Baramati route via Flightradar24
Flight route: Mumbai → Pune → Baramati
Source: Flightradar24
Radar loss: The aircraft disappears from tracking
Final approach loop pattern detected before accident
“Plane makes noise during landing… leaves runway, big explosion”
eyewitness account
Bombardier Learjet 45, VSR aviation operator
Twin-engine executive jet, 6-seat capacity
Mumbai-Pune trip for four election rallies
Zilla Parishad polls: February 5 voting, February 7 results
Express InfoGenIE
Sharad Pawar has often said that it was his mother who taught the family the value of public service and hard work.
Among his children were
- Vasantrao Pawar, a lawyer killed in a land dispute
- Dinkarrao Pawar, farmer
- Anantrao Pawar, father of Ajit Pawar
- Madhavrao Pawar, who ran industrial units
- Suryakant Pawar, architect
- Sarla Jagtap
- Saroj Patil, wife of Left leader ND Patil
- Sharad Pawar
- Meena Jagdhane
- Pratap Pawar, director of the Sakal newspaper group
- Neela Sasane
While Sharad Pawar became the political face of the family, his brothers developed influence in law, business, media and cooperatives.
the second generation
The second generation remained largely united behind Sharad Pawar for many years.
From Dinkarrao Pawar branch came Rajendra and Ranjit Pawar, who built businesses in agriculture. Rajendra Pawar’s son Rohit Pawar entered politics in 2019 and won the Karjat Jamkhed Assembly seat. He is now seen as one of the younger faces in Sharad Pawar’s group.
Story continues below this ad.
From Anantrao Pawar branch came Ajit Pawar. He rose in the cooperative sector and became Sharad Pawar’s closest political aide in the 1990s. Ajit Pawar became one of the most powerful leaders in the state, serving several terms as Deputy Chief Minister and in charge of key departments such as Irrigation and Finance.
Ajit Pawar’s family also entered politics. His son Parth Pawar contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Maval and lost. His wife Sunetra Pawar entered electoral politics in 2024.
Sharad Pawar’s daughter. Supriya Sule He entered Parliament in 2009 and became the main political face of his father’s side.
The family dispute becomes public
Cracks in the family became visible after Supriya Sule entered politics and later when Rohit Pawar won his Assembly seat in 2019. Ajit Pawar, who saw himself as Sharad Pawar’s natural successor, felt sidelined.
Story continues below this ad.
In 2019, Ajit Pawar briefly formed a government with the BJP before returning to Sharad Pawar’s camp. The split became final in July 2023, when Ajit Pawar split the NCP and joined the BJP-led government.
Most of the Pawar family members stayed with Sharad Pawar. Ajit Pawar publicly complained that his own family members treated him like a stranger. His brother Shriniwas is believed to have campaigned against him.
Supriya Sule vs. Sunetra Pawar
The family divide was laid bare in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Baramati, when Supriya Sule took on Sunetra Pawar in a direct contest.
For the first time, the Pawar family stronghold saw a fight between two women of the same clan, situated on opposite sides of the political divide. Supriya Sule represented her father Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction, while Sunetra Pawar was fielded by Ajit Pawar’s group with the backing of the BJP.
Story continues below this ad.
The campaign became a battle for control of the Pawar legacy. Supriya Sule projected herself as the heir to Sharad Pawar’s politics, while Sunetra Pawar sought votes on behalf of Ajit Pawar and highlighted her work in the region.
Sule won the election, dealing a blow to Ajit Pawar’s attempt to wrest Baramati from his uncle’s camp. The result showed that Sharad Pawar still commanded strong loyalty in the family stronghold even after the party split. However, Ajit Pawar outperformed his uncle in the 2024 Assembly elections. In recent months, there had also been growing speculation about a possible rapprochement between the two Pawar camps, fueled by electoral setbacks and the practical limits of a divided family and party. Leaders on both sides had maintained discreet communication channels, and the decision by the two NCP factions to cooperate in some local body elections was seen as an early sign of a softening of positions.
After Ajit Pawar
Ajit Pawar’s death leaves the Pawar family politically divided.
Sharad Pawar remains the most important figure in the clan. Supriya Sule and Rohit Pawar continue with their political line. On Ajit Pawar’s side, Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar remain the visible faces, albeit without Ajit Pawar’s personal control over the party and the government.