Ajit Pawar And The Pawar Clan: Who’s Who In Maharashtra’s Most Powerful Political Family

Last Updated:January 28, 2026, 11:32 IST

Tracing the Pawar family’s journey from its cooperative roots to its current political branches, and understanding where Ajit Pawar fit within the sprawling dynasty.

Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed in an air crash on Wednesday. (PTI)

Ajit Pawar Death: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Anantrao Pawar died on Wednesday after the chartered aircraft he was travelling in crashed while attempting an emergency landing near Baramati in Pune district.

Pawar, 66, was one of the most influential figures in state politics, having served multiple terms as Deputy Chief Minister and held key portfolios including Finance, Planning and Water Resources. His sudden death has sent shockwaves across the state and the nation.

Understanding the significance of this loss requires looking at the family he came from — one of Maharashtra’s most powerful political lineages, with deep roots in cooperatives, agriculture and local leadership.

The Roots: Govindrao And Shardabai Pawar

Ajit Pawar belonged to the extended Pawar clan of Baramati, whose public life began long before electoral politics. His grandparents, Govindrao and Shardabai Pawar, formed the first generation of the family’s political and cooperative base.

Govindrao was active in the cooperative sector, while Shardabai worked extensively in rural community initiatives. In 1938, she was elected unopposed to the Pune local board, becoming one of the few women political figures in the district at the time. Their activism shaped the political instincts of their children.

Govindrao and Shardabai had eleven children — seven sons and four daughters — whose careers spanned law, agriculture, industry, real estate, media and politics. Together, they created the foundation on which later generations built their influence.

The Second Generation: Sharad Pawar And His Siblings

The Pawar siblings pursued varied careers but remained connected through cooperatives and public service. The eldest brother, Vasantrao, was a respected lawyer who was later killed in a land dispute. Dinkarrao, an agriculturist; Anantrao, Ajit Pawar’s father; and Madhavrao, an industrialist, are all deceased. Another brother, Suryakant, worked as an architect with real-estate interests.

Among the sisters, Sarla Jagtap and Saroj Patil married into families linked to Left-leaning movements and rural activism. Saroj was married to Narayan Dyandeo Patil, a prominent Peasants and Workers Party leader who shared a long, occasionally contentious political relationship with Sharad Pawar. Sharad is followed by his sister Meena Jagdhane, then by Pratap Pawar, who heads the Sakal media group, and finally the youngest sibling, Neela Sasane.

Despite their differences in professions, this generation remained largely cohesive. Their grounding in cooperatives shaped the emergence of the family’s next generation of leaders.

Sharad Pawar’s Line

Sharad Pawar went on to become the most prominent figure in the family: four-time Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Union Minister and founder of the Nationalist Congress Party. His daughter, Supriya Sule, entered politics in 2009 and has been elected repeatedly to the Lok Sabha from Baramati. Her entry marked the beginning of generational shifts within the family.

Another important member of this branch is Rohit Pawar, Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew. Rohit is the grandson of Dinkarrao (Sharad’s elder brother) and the son of Rajendra Pawar, who is involved in agribusiness and wineries in Pune along with his brother Ranjit. Rohit won the 2019 Assembly election from Karjat–Jamkhed and is considered one of the most visible third-generation leaders of the clan.

His rise added another political centre within the extended family and intensified internal competition that had been building for years.

Ajit Pawar’s Line: From Protégé To Independent Power Centre

Ajit Anantrao Pawar, born on 22 July 1959 in Deolali Pravara, was the son of Anantrao and Ashatai Pawar. His father was the elder brother of Sharad Pawar, making Ajit a direct nephew of the NCP founder. Ajit grew up watching his uncle rise in state and national politics, and his entry into public life was deeply shaped by this proximity.

His father’s work with filmmaker V. Shantaram at Rajkamal Studios exposed the family to urban professional circles even as they maintained their rural roots.

Ajit had two siblings: his brother Shrinivas, who worked in business and later differed politically with him, and his sister Vijaya Patil, who worked in media and passed away in 2017.

Ajit’s political journey began in 1982 when he entered grassroots politics through the cooperative sugar sector — the traditional gateway for many leaders in Maharashtra. In 1991, he became chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank and soon after won the Baramati Assembly seat, which remained his stronghold for decades.

As he rose through the ranks, Ajit held significant portfolios in multiple governments and became Deputy Chief Minister several times. Over the years, he built an independent base of his own, particularly across western Maharashtra. However, his ascent also coincided with increasing friction within the family as newer leaders like Supriya Sule and Rohit Pawar gained prominence.

Ajit Pawar’s Wife And Children

Ajit Pawar was married to Sunetra Pawar, daughter of former Maharashtra minister Padamsinh Bajirao Patil. Sunetra has long been active in social and constituency-level work. After losing her Lok Sabha contest from Baramati, she entered the Rajya Sabha, becoming the fifth member of the extended Pawar family to hold elected or parliamentary office.

Ajit and Sunetra have two sons. Parth Pawar contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Maval but lost; the episode contributed to tensions within the wider family. Their younger son, Jay Pawar, remains largely outside politics and is associated with business interests.

The Third Generation And The Emerging Successors

The family’s third generation includes Sule, Rohit and Ajit’s sons, though the latter have taken different paths. Rohit’s rise in the Assembly, Sule’s national presence and Parth’s short-lived electoral debut have created a complex landscape for succession within the wider clan.

The 2023 Split And The Divided Clan

The sharpest rupture came in July 2023 when Ajit Pawar split from his uncle’s NCP and joined the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance to form a government in Maharashtra. The move divided the party and created personal tension within the family. While Ajit became Deputy Chief Minister again, most of the siblings supported Sharad Pawar.

Despite the political divide, both leaders continued to acknowledge their personal bond in public.

A Legacy That Will Endure Beyond Ajit Pawar

The coming years will determine how the next generation navigates the alliances, rivalries and legacies that have shaped the family for more than half a century.

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