​Ajit Pawar death: Who will lead NCP, what about merger, who is Rohit Pawar, and what's Ajit's family tree? Here are all answers

Ajit Pawar's death has caused a silence in Baramati today which is deafening. At 8:45 AM on Wednesday, the political trajectory of Maharashtra changed forever when a chartered Learjet 45 carrying Deputy CM Ajit Pawar crashed during a landing attempt. There were no survivors. As the state enters a period of mourning, the focus is on the survivors of one of India’s most powerful political families—and the complex tree that connects them.

Ajit Pawar Family Tree

Ajit Pawar, son of Sharad Pawar’s elder brother Anantrao, leaves a complex legacy. He is survived by his wife, Sunetra Pawar (Rajya Sabha MP), and two sons, Parth and Jay Pawar. He was the nephew of patriarch Sharad Pawar and first cousin to Supriya Sule. His younger cousin-once-removed, Rohit Pawar, is the grandson of Sharad’s other brother, Dinkarrao, representing the family’s rival political third generation. Yugendra Pawar is the grandnephew of Sharad Pawar and son of Shrinivas Pawar, younger brother of Ajit Pawar. A third-generation leader, he contested Baramati in the 2024 Assembly polls on an NCP (SP) ticket but lost to his uncle Ajit.

The NCP Split – July 2023, A Dynasty Divided

On July 2, 2023, Ajit Pawar shocked Maharashtra by joining the BJP-Shiv Sena government as Deputy CM, splitting the NCP. The Election Commission later recognized his faction as the official NCP with the 'clock' symbol, while Sharad’s loyalists formed NCP (SP). The split reflected deep family and ideological rifts, reshaping Maharashtra’s political map.

Who will lead the Ajit Pawar faction?

With the passing of "Dada," the search for a successor begins within his immediate household. Ajit Pawar (66) was the son of Anantrao Pawar, the elder brother of the family patriarch, Sharad Pawar. This direct lineage made Ajit the senior-most nephew in the family.

He is survived by his wife, Sunetra Pawar, a Rajya Sabha MP. While Sunetra has her own political standing, eyes are on their two sons: Parth Pawar, the elder son who previously contested the Maval Lok Sabha seat, and Jay Pawar, the younger son. In the family tree, Parth and Jay are the grandnephews of Sharad Pawar and the first cousins once removed of Supriya Sule.

Is the NCP merger back on the cards?

The tragedy has hit the patriarch, Sharad Pawar (85), the hardest. Sharad is one of 11 children born to Govindrao and Shardabai Pawar. While he mentored Ajit for decades, their relationship fractured in July 2023. Before today's tragedy, reports indicated that the two NCP factions were actively moving toward reconciliation through strategic local alliances. Both groups collaborated to release a unified NCP manifesto for the January 15, 2026, municipal elections in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Now, with the death of his nephew, rumors of a "Ghar Wapsi" are trending. Reports suggest that Sharad may attempt to unify the party by bringing his grandnephews (Parth and Jay) back into the fold of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).

Supriya Sule vs. Rohit Pawar: The succession battle

The internal dynamics between the next generation are now the subject of intense Google searches. Supriya Sule, the daughter of Sharad Pawar and the first cousin of the late Ajit Pawar. As the Lok Sabha leader, she is the "heir apparent" to her father's national legacy. Rohit Pawar, often called the "Rising Star," is an MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed. To be precise, he is the son of Rajendra Pawar (who is Ajit’s cousin). This makes Rohit the grandnephew of Sharad Pawar and the nephew of both Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule.

The question trending across social media is whether the family will unite behind Supriya or if Rohit Pawar—who stayed loyal to Sharad during the 2023 split—will be given a larger role over Ajit's sons.

Sharad Pawar retirement 2026: Will he stay?

The patriarch had hinted at retiring by the end of 2026. However, with the loss of Ajit—his brother Anantrao's son and his long-term political executor—Sharad Pawar may delay his exit to stabilize the "Pawar Empire" for the sake of his daughter and grandnephews.