Another Pawar scion, US-educated Yugendra readies to jump into Maha political cauldron

Pune (Maharashtra): As the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections loom closer, another third-generation scion of the formidable Sharad Pawar clan gets ready to flex political muscles in the family fortress of Baramati.

The Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar is likely to field his grandnephew Yugendra Pawar from Baramati where he may be pitted against his uncle, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, or his younger son Jay Ajit Pawar on his political debut.

Indicating another Pawar-versus-Pawar battle in the offing, and with the blessings of Sharad Pawar, NCP(SP) Working President Supriya Sule plus other kin, Yugendra kick-started his ‘Swabhiman Yatra’ from the Maruti Temple in his native Kanheri in Baramati.

In a gap of barely six months, Baramati could be torn in a tussle between two Pawars – Yugendra from the NCP(SP) side and Ajit Pawar or son Jay from the NCP banner – after the ‘bhabhi-nanad’ war in the Lok Sabha polls.

The ‘nanad’ Supriya Sule convincingly vanquished Ajit Pawar’s wife and her Bhabhi, Sunetra, and breezed into the Lok Sabha for the fourth consecutive time.

Interestingly, in the LS polls, Yugendra and his father Shrinivas Pawar had not only slammed Ajit Pawar for breaking the undivided NCP founded by Sharad Pawar 25 years ago, but also campaigned vigorously for Supriya Sule.

Not only was the NCP divided in July 2023, even the close-knit Pawar clan members were at odds against each other, and the ordinary folks in Baramati had a tough time choosing between the daughter (Supriya) and the daughter-in-law (Sunetra) in the hotly-contested LS polls.

In a brief media interaction, Yugendra - who completed his higher studies from the US - said that during the Swabhiman Yatra, he would travel to many villages, go house to house and interact with the people, understand their grievances and issues.

“I have started the Swabhiman Yatra after seeking the blessings of Sharad Pawar Saheb and Supriya-tai. Pawar Saheb has always advised us to remain close to the people and I am doing just that,” said Yugendra.

To a query, he nodded his head and spontaneously said that he would also seek the blessings of his uncle Ajit Pawar for his upcoming political journey, as he embarked on a tour of many of the 200 villages in Baramati, that would take around a fortnight.

Yugendra also recalled how Sharad Pawar Saheb had taught them to refrain from making any personal attacks in politics, to always keep family and politics separate, and this political legacy continued from the times of Yeshwantrao Chavan.

However, on Ajit Pawar’s recent strong statements, Yugendra diplomatically brushed aside queries saying “he is my uncle, and I would not like to make any comments.”

Yugendra, reputed to be a good organiser with a cool demeanour like his grand-uncle, is popular as ‘Yug’ among his friends and family.

He studied in Mumbai and Pune, and then graduated in finance and insurance from Northeastern University, Boston.

He is connected with the Vidya Pratisthan, the chain of educational institutions founded by Sharad Pawar, heads the Baramati Taluka Kustigir Parishad and works as a CEO in one of the companies in the Sharayu Group, headed by his dad.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: [email protected])