Parth skips Sunetra Pawar's swearing-in, meets Sharad Pawar; eyes mom's Rajya Sabha seat

PUNE: Parth Pawar, elder son of late Ajit Pawar, is increasingly being seen as positioning himself for a Rajya Sabha berth to replace his mother, Sunetra Pawar, who was sworn in as Maharashtra's deputy chief minister on Saturday.

While Sunetra took the oath in Mumbai, Parth did not attend the ceremony; instead, he spent more than one hour on Saturday morning at Sharad Pawar's residence in Govindbaug, Baramati, in what sources described as a crucial discussion with his great uncle, Pawar, and MP Supriya Sule, his father's cousin.


The meeting came soon after Pawar senior, at a press conference in Baramati on Saturday morning, publicly said he had no prior information about Sunetra Pawar's swearing-in and learned of it only through media reports. "We don't know about the swearing-in… I have no idea about the swearing-in," the veteran leader said, indicating a lack of consultation with him or his faction before the announcement.

Sources said Parth's visit to Pawar was not merely personal but political, likely aimed at explaining developments and gauging support for his future role in the party's strategy. Sources in NCP said, "Many believe Parth could now stake a claim for the Rajya Sabha seat being vacated by Sunetra Pawar as she moves into the state cabinet, a transition that would keep his political relevance intact."

Parth eventually travelled to Mumbai late Saturday evening, arriving at Devgiri Bungalow where his mother and younger brother, Jay Pawar, were present. Jay, along with his wife Rutuja, represented the Pawar family at the swearing-in ceremony.

Parth's political journey has been uneven. In 2019, he contested the Maval Lok Sabha seat but suffered a defeat, despite strong campaigning and support from senior leaders, notably Supriya Sule, with whom he shares close proximity in party politics. That loss marked a challenging patch in his public career.

His public image has also weathered scrutiny over a controversial Pune land deal involving properties transferred at below-market rates to a firm linked to his company, a transaction that became the subject of political criticism and an investigation. The deal was later cancelled amid backlash.

An NCP insider said, "With the Pawar family and party in transition following Ajit Pawar's sudden death, Parth's strategic moves, especially his timing with senior leadership, suggest he could be in the race for a key parliamentary position that keeps the Pawar legacy dynamic in Maharashtra politics."