Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Anantrao Pawar died on January 28, 2026, after the chartered aircraft he was travelling in crashed while attempting an emergency landing near Baramati in Pune district.
Pawar, 66, was a prominent figure in Maharashtra politics, serving multiple terms as Deputy Chief Minister and holding key portfolios; his sudden death has sent shockwaves across the state and the nation, marking a significant loss in the political landscape.
Ajit Pawar’s Family Tree and Political Legacy
Ajit Anantrao Pawar, widely known as Ajit Pawar or by his supporters as “Dada,” was a senior Indian politician and a key figure in Maharashtra politics. Born on 22 July 1959 in Deolali Pravara, Ahmednagar district, he hails from the influential Pawar family — a dominant force in state politics for decades.
Family Background
Ajit Pawar’s political lineage has deep roots:
Grandparents: His grandfather, Govindrao Pawar, was actively involved in cooperative movements and local governance in Baramati, while his grandmother, Shardabai Pawar, focused on rural community work.
Parents: Ajit is the son of Anantrao Pawar, the elder brother of veteran politician Sharad Pawar — four-time Chief Minister of Maharashtra and founder of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) — and Ashatai Pawar.
Siblings: He has a brother, Shrinivas Pawar, involved in family business, and a late sister, Vijaya Patil, who worked in media and passed away in 2017.
Uncle and Cousins: His most influential family connection is with his uncle Sharad Pawar. Ajit’s cousin, Supriya Sule (Sharad Pawar’s daughter), is a Member of Parliament from Baramati. Another younger relative, Rohit Pawar, serves as an MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed.
Immediate Family – Ajit Pawar’s Wife and Children
Ajit Pawar is married to Sunetra Pawar, the daughter of former Maharashtra minister Padamsinh Bajirao Patil. The couple has two sons: Jay Pawar, a businessman, and Parth Pawar, who has ventured into politics and contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Maval.
Political Legacy and Career
Ajit Pawar’s political journey began in grass-roots politics in 1982, when he was elected to the board of a cooperative sugar factory – a common entry point in Maharashtra’s cooperative-political ecosystem dominated by his family.
He rose through the ranks, becoming chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank in 1991, and soon after won the Baramati Assembly seat, which has remained his stronghold.
Ajit has served multiple terms as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and held key portfolios including Finance, Planning, and Water Resources.
How is Ajit Pawar Related to Sharad Pawar?
Ajit Pawar was the nephew of veteran leader Sharad Pawar. He is the son of Anantrao Pawar, who was Sharad Pawar’s brother, making Ajit Pawar the latter’s direct nephew. The two were once very close politically: Ajit began his career as Sharad Pawar’s protégé in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
However, in July 2023, Ajit split from his uncle’s NCP to join the Maharashtra government with a different political alliance, leading to a party split and some personal tension between them.
Despite the political divide, both leaders have publicly acknowledged their family bond, and there have been moments where they appeared together at events, reflecting an ongoing personal connection.
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