Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar had declared total assets worth Rs 45.37 crore and liabilities of Rs 21.39 crore, according to his affidavit filed ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Pawar died on Wednesday morning after the aircraft he was travelling in crash-landed near Baramati in Maharashtra, officials confirmed.
As per the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission of India, Pawar’s assets comprised Rs 8.22 crore in movable assets and Rs 37.15 crore in immovable properties, including agricultural land and residential properties spread across different parts of Maharashtra.
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Break-up of assets and liabilities
The affidavit lists Pawar’s movable assets as including fixed deposits, shares, bonds, silver articles, farm equipment such as tractors, and other financial investments. He also declared ownership of two vehicles, one of them is a Toyota Camry and a Honda CR-V.
His declared liabilities stood at Rs 21.39 crore, largely comprising loans and other financial obligations.
As per the Election Commission data, there was a steady rise in Pawar’s personal wealth over the past five years, with assets increasing by nearly Rs 10 crore between the years of 2019 and 2024. The affidavit remains the latest official declaration of Pawar’s personal finances. No subsequent affidavit has been filed since the 2024 elections.
The Pawar family and political lineage
Ajit Pawar was born on July 22, 1959, in Deolali Pravara, Ahmednagar district and was hailed from a family closely associated with the cooperative movement and rural politics. His father, Anantrao Pawar, worked at Rajkamal Studios in Mumbai and was the elder brother of Sharad Pawar, the former Union minister and founder of the Nationalist Congress Party. The association with Sharad Pawar played a decisive role in Ajit Pawar’s entry into politics.
In 1999, he joined Sharad Pawar in forming the NCP after the split from the Congress and later served as a cabinet minister. The most significant political rupture in the family came in 2023, when Ajit Pawar led a split in the NCP and joined the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance, becoming Deputy Chief Minister. The move divided party ranks and marked a decisive shift in the Pawar family’s political alignment.
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Immediate family
Ajit Pawar is survived by his wife Sunetra Pawar, daughter of former Maharashtra minister Padamsinh Bajirao Patil, and two sons. Parth Pawar entered politics and contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Maval, while Jay Pawar remained largely away from public life, focusing on business interests.
Crash details
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that there were no survivors in the aircraft accident. The business jet, a Learjet with registration VT-SSK, was carrying Pawar, other passengers and crew when it crashed while attempting to land. A detailed technical investigation is underway.
