Maharashtra polls: What does Yugendra Pawar's debut mean for NCP (SP)?

Pune: Back in March 2019, when Parth Pawar made his electoral debut during the Lok Sabha elections, his grand-uncle Sharad Pawar did something that took everyone by surprise. The patriarch of the Pawar family – the largest political dynasty in Maharashtra, even India – stayed away from the contest.

It was a big move, for party workers insisted that Pawar dig in his heels and fight, as the Nationalist Congress Party (then the undivided NCP) faced a tough battle. But Pawar was adamant. “Myself, Supriya Sule and Parth – all contesting at the same time wouldn’t have been proper,” he said, keen to avoid accusations of dynastic politics.

Parth is the son of NCP chief Ajit Pawar, who is also nephew of Sharad Pawar and deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. He is a third-generation Pawar engaged in politics, and his electoral debut in 2019 marked a new innings in the Pawar family’s political saga. On October 25, history repeated itself, with a twist, ahead of the assembly polls in Maharashtra. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) nominated another grand-nephew, Yugendra Pawar, from the Baramati constituency — a seat long held initially by the patriarch himself, and then by Ajit Pawar.

Yugendra’s nomination makes him the third cousin, and eighth Pawar, to join electoral politics, further widening the circle of influence of the family in Maharashtra’s politics. The clan currently has five public representatives in the state and at the centre – Sharad Pawar (a Rajya Sabha MP); his daughter Supriya Sule (secured her fourth term as the Baramati Lok Sabha MP); Rohit Pawar, another grand-nephew and the MLA from Karjat Jamkhed; Ajit Pawar, sitting MLA from Baramati assembly constituency; and Ajit’s wife Sunetra, a Rajya Sabha MP.

Ajit, who is seeking re-election from the Baramati assembly seat in November, is the only Pawar after his uncle to have established a commanding presence in the state’s politics. Currently serving as deputy chief minister, he has held the Baramati assembly seat for seven consecutive terms. His wife, Sunetra, although unsuccessful in her Lok Sabha bid against Supriya Sule, was elevated as a Rajya Sabha member within two months of her defeat.

Their elder son, Parth, made headlines with his 2019 Lok Sabha contest in Maval, although he ultimately lost. Yet Parth is a key figure in the NCP led by his father, with younger brother Jay also playing an active role in politics, acting as a backroom boy for family members.

Despite electoral setbacks, the younger generation of Pawars are clearly positioning themselves for future leadership roles within the NCP. And they owe their legacy to not one, but two Pawars, who started it all.

Setting The Stage

The Pawar dynasty, with its roots in Baramati, in Pune district, has been a force in the state for more than five decades. Sharad Pawar, now 84, began his political journey in 1958. A four-time chief minister and a union minister, his ‘invisible hand’ is said to have shaped the contours of the state’s politics. He is also known for his realpolitik.

Pawar first won the Baramati assembly seat in 1967, passing the mantle to Ajit in the late ’80s. It wasn’t Sharad Pawar but his older brother Vasantrao who was the first Pawar to take the electoral plunge.

In fact, at the beginning of his career, Sharad Pawar found himself in an awkward position when by-elections were announced in Baramati after the demise of then Congress leader Keshavrao Jedhe – at the time, the Sanyukta Maharashtra Samiti chose to field his brother Vasantrao.

The Congress, on the other hand, nominated Jedhe’s son Gulabrao and asked Sharad Pawar to campaign for him. “Everyone in the family was keenly watching my stand. The Congress, of which I was a part, had made the contest prestigious. However, thanks to our mother, the family exhibited maturity and my elder brother (Vasantrao) accepted my stand of working for a Congress candidate,” recounted Sharad Pawar in his autobiography ‘Lok Maze Sangati’ (The People Are my Companions), the second part of which released in May 2023.

Yugendra: The Challenger

For Yugendra, though, this isn’t just a simple debut — it’s a challenge to his own uncle, Ajit, a veteran who has held the Baramati seat, breaking his own records. In the 2019 assembly polls, Ajit set a new a record in Maharashtra by winning the seat by a margin of over 1.67 lakh votes. Five years later, his wife Sunetra, despite her campaign being personally handled by Ajit, was defeated by his cousin, Supriya Sule, in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. In the Baramati assembly segment, Sule secured a lead of over 43,000 votes over Sunetra.

Yugendra, 32, has not stepped into the race unprepared. He has toured over 200 villages in the Baramati constituency three times, laying the groundwork before his name was officially announced. Son of Ajit’s younger brother, Shrinivas, Yugendra attended school in Pune and Mumbai, before pursuing higher studies in Europe and the US. He graduated in finance and insurance from Northeastern University, Boston.

Preparations for his assembly poll debut began when he campaigned for Supriya Sule, Pawar’s daughter and his father’s cousin. But going up against Ajit, a seasoned politician with decades of experience, won’t be easy. Ajit, 65, remains a towering figure in Maharashtra’s politics, especially after his rebellion in 2023, which saw him split the NCP and align with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Political observers note that if anyone has truly benefited from this split, it’s the Pawar family. The division created opportunities for more family members to enter the electoral arena. “The fragmentation of Maharashtra’s politics has benefited big political families who have been enjoying power for a long. In the Pawar clan’s case, what we see is a struggle for a political heir and Yugendra’s entry into the electoral race appears to be a step to bolster Supriya Sule’s position in politics,” said Abhay Deshpande, a political analyst. While Ajit and his immediate family is a direct challenge to Sule, other members within the family do not pose any threat to her position, said Deshpande.

Yugendra denied that his electoral bid is an attempt to expand the dynasty. “There are multiple families in politics across the country. Also, ours is a large family and is now split into different parties. Not all members are in the same party,” Yugendra said in an interview to Hindustan Times.

Asked to comment on Yugendra’s candidature, Ajit Pawar didn’t give away much. He said, “In a democracy, anyone can contest in election.”

For its part, the NCP (SP) is playing it safe, saying there has been a demand from the rank and file to field Yugendra in the electoral race. Explaining the criteria for Yugendra’s selection, NCP (SP) state unit president, Jayant Patil, said, “I interacted with local people and party workers. According to them, Yugendra is a fresh face and can unite everyone. We believe he is the best choice from our side. With the way people are supporting him, the outcome may be different this time.”

This is not the first time internal Pawar family dynamics have surfaced in elections. During the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, Yugendra campaigned for Supriya Sule, while Ajit’s wife, Sunetra, ran against her. Yugendra’s father, Shriniwas Pawar, also openly criticised his brother Ajit for rebelling against Sharad Pawar. Despite these fractures, the family continues to dominate Maharashtra’s political landscape.

While Yugendra’s entry signals a generational shift in the Pawar family’s political journey, it also brings the family’s internal rivalry into sharp focus. The family’s hold over Baramati, and Maharashtra, may well be tested in these elections, but one thing is clear—the Pawar clan is only growing stronger, despite its deep internal divisions.