The Pawar Family Tree: Multiple generations in Maharashtra politics as Sunetra gears up to take oath as Dy CM

The Pawar Family Tree: The Pawar family, a political powerhouse in Maharashtra, met with a tragedy this week with the death of Ajit Pawar in a Baramati plane crash on 28 January 2026.

Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Ajit Pawar, is all set to take oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra today. Before taking the oath, she will be chosen as the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) – the faction led by her late husband Ajit Pawar.

The NCP is part of ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra led by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The other faction of NCP, led by its original founder Sharad Pawar, is part of the opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra.

The Pawars are one of the most prominent political families in Maharashtra, India’s richest state. Multiple generations of politicians and business people have centred around Sharad Pawar’s leadership.

With politics as mainstream, Sharad Pawar’s family has long been involved in cooperative institutions and educational initiatives, reinforcing the Pawar legacy in Maharashtra. Here is a look at the family tree

Pawar, 85, is the founder and leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which he helped establish in 1999, following a split from the Congress party.

Pawar is regarded for his influence in Maharashtra's politics and rural society, having been compared to Chanakya for his long-standing role in coalition politics and grassroots networks.

Born in Baramati, Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar is the patriarch of the Pawar political family.

Sharad Pawar's NCP suffered a split in 2023 when Ajit Pawar, along with many senior leaders, broke away from the party, and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition in Maharashtra. Ajit Pawar managed to retain the original name of his faction and its symbol as well.

Ajit died at a time when there was speculation of his reunion with his uncle.

Daughter: Supriya Sule: A prominent politician, three-term Lok Sabha MP from Baramati, and working president of NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).

Sule has a son Vijay and adaughter, Revati

Ajit’s 2023 rebellion split the NCP, created two factions. With Ajit’s untimely death, the party family’s future now hangs in the balance. Ajit’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, will step into her late husband’s shoes and take over as the party leader and also as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.

Late Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, though a Rajya Sabha member since 2024, has largely remained behind the scenes. Her new role as Deputy CM of Maharashtra puts her into a more prominent and visible role in Maharashtra politics.

With Ajit’s death, both are expected to step into leadership roles.

Yugendra Pawar – Grandnephew who challenged Ajit

Yugendra Pawar, 32, is son of Shrinivas Pawar, younger brother of Ajit Pawar, and Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew. He contested against Ajit from Baramati in 2024 and lost. A Harvard graduate, he is MD of Sharayu Infra and aligned with Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule.

(With agency inputs)