Ajit Pawar family tree: Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, died in a charter plane crash earlier today. His aircraft, carrying six others, nosedived while landing in Baramati, the family’s political stronghold. No one survived the crash, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.
A key player in Maharashtra politics, one of the state’s key power brokers, who learned the game – that of politics and power – from his uncle’s far-reaching shadow, and moulded himself into the hard-nosed politician who played a starring role in re-shaping Maharashtra’s political landscape.
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Ajit Pawar’s ‘power’ politics
With a rich political dynasty centred in Baramati, the Pawar politics spans nearly three generations in the area. Grandchild of Govindrao Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s grandfather was actively engaged in local governance with his wife, Shardabai Pawar, motivated by rural development and social work. The couple had 11 children, seven sons and four daughters, with Sharad Pawar being the eighth child, who has had a significant impact on the politics of Maharashtra.
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One of the most significant faces, Sharad Pawar, an MP and ex-Union Minister, previously held the post of Chief Minister of Maharashtra four times between 1978 and 1995. The other 10 siblings are, namely, Dinkarrao Pawar, Anantrao Pawar, Vasantrao Pawar, Madhavrao Pawar, Suryakant Pawar, Sarla Jagtap, Saroj Patil, Meena Jagdhane, Pratap Pawar, and Neela Sasane.
The elder brother of Sharad Pawar, Vasantrao, was a notable lawyer in Pune, but was shot dead due to a land dispute, with the other three brothers also deceased. Suryakant, a notable architect and real estate interests, is followed by Saroj Patil, the wife of the late Narayan Dyandeo Patil, a towering figure of the Left movement and the Peasants and Workers Party.
Son of Anantrao, Brother of Shriniwas
Anantrao, father of former Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, married Ashatai. The couple have two sons – Ajit Pawar and Shriniwas, and a daughter, Vijya Patil. The second generation of Pawars largely stuck together; there were significant splits in the following generations. Nephew of Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar had been on his uncle’s side since 1991, and was touted to be the heir, after the formation of the NCP.
 Image generated with Google GeminiALSO READFinal 35 minutes of Ajit Pawar’s flight: Data shows pilot tried to land twice before crash
Ajit Pawar is married to Sunetra and has a son, Parth. In 2024, Sunetra made strategic entry into the ‘ awar’ politics by getting herself nominated to the Rajya Sabha. The 62-year-old is the fifth Pawar to hold public office. This came after Sharad Pawar’s daughter, Supriya Sule, became an MP, Baramati, Lok Sabha.
Ajit Pawar’s extended family includes cousins Rajendra, Rohit, and Ranjit, children of uncle Dinkarrao Pawar. Rohit, also a member of the NCP, is the MLA from Kajrat-Jamkhed and the CEO of Baramati Agro Ltd. |
