Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Senior NCP Leader Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash on Wednesday morning in Baramati, where he was headed to attend a public rally for the zilla parishad election.
He was the longest serving deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, serving 6 terms under at least four different chief ministers and multiple cabinets.
The Pawar family name has been inseparable from politics in Maharashtra for decades.
Pawar, who was 66 at the time of his death, is survived by his two sons, Parth and Jay, along with his wife Sunetra Pawar, who is a member of the parliament in the Rajya Sabha.
His elder son, Parth Pawar, was spotted outside his residence in Baramati on Wednesday morning after the tragedy. Visuals from ET Now showed him both with supporters and party members trying to console him as he is on a call.
Parth Pawar entered politics and contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the Maval constituency, facing a significant defeat. He has not been a frontline politician like his father, and has maintained a low public profile since his defeat. His name however has been embroiled in controversy after being tied to the 40-acre Mundhwa land scam case. A company he had stakes in, was involved in the purchase of the land. Allegations of irregularities and questions of valuations and stamp duty exemptions soon rose. The Maharashtra government have been actively investigating the case.
In the wake of his father's passing, all eyes especially from the political sphere would now be on the older son. He would be expected to carry on his family's political sucession having already stepped foot into politics.
Meanwhile, Sunetra and daughter of Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, has left for Baramati from Delhi.
Sunetra Pawar is the daughter of former Maharashtra Minister Padamsinh Bajirao Patil. She has been considered a steady influence in Ajit Pawar’s life and in his political activity. NCP leadership could also be shifted to Pawar's wife who is currently serving as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha.
Delhi: NCP(SP) MP Supriya Sule left her Delhi residence pic.twitter.com/rNq8ixrQZM
— IANS (@ians_india) January 28, 2026
Ajit Pawar’s uncle, Sharad Pawar, has been a towering figure in Maharashtra politics, serving about three terms as chief minister in the state. His daughter Supriya is a Member of Parliament from Baramati and is a key figure in Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP). She took to WhatsApp on Wednesday after hearing news of her cousins's death to write a single word: 'Devasted' (sic)
Ajit Pawar’s younger son, Jay Pawar, got married last month in Bahrain to Rutuja Patil. Jay has been involved in politics; however, he has more actively pursued business interests and maintains a low public profile. Photos showed the ceremony was conducted with a large number of family members and well-wishers.
