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Visuals from the Pawar family’s Katewadi home and later the Vidya Pratishthan ground during Ajit Pawar’s funeral showed an inconsolable Sule embracing her sister-in-law, Sunetra
Observers noted that Sule had barely left Sunetra’s side, assisting with funeral arrangements and greeting the wave of national leaders who arrived to pay their respects. Image/PTI
In a poignant display of family solidarity over political friction, Supriya Sule has remained a constant pillar of support for Sunetra Pawar since the tragic death of Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on Wednesday. Despite the 2023 split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) that saw the cousins lead rival factions and a bitter electoral battle in Baramati just two years ago, the tragedy has seen the family collapse their political differences into a unified front of mourning.
A Bond Beyond the Split
The Baramati Lok Sabha MP, who was in New Delhi for the Parliament Budget session when news of the crash broke, immediately rushed to the airport, arriving in Baramati by Wednesday afternoon. Visuals from the Pawar family’s Katewadi residence and later the Vidya Pratishthan ground showed an inconsolable Sule embracing her sister-in-law, Sunetra. Observers noted that Sule had barely left Sunetra’s side, assisting with funeral arrangements and greeting the wave of national leaders who arrived to pay their respects.
Sule’s one-word reaction as her WhatsApp status—”Devastated”—captured the personal gravity of the loss. While the two women were the faces of a high-decibel political contest in 2024, Sule has always maintained that her fight with her “Dada” (elder brother) was ideological rather than personal. This sentiment was evident as she shielded Sunetra from the media glare and stayed by her during the final rites performed by Ajit’s sons, Parth and Jay.
The Family Anchor in Crisis
The tragedy has perhaps hit the 85-year-old patriarch Sharad Pawar hardest, but it is Supriya Sule who has emerged as the family’s operational anchor. She was seen coordinating between the hospital, the crash site near the Baramati airstrip, and the residence. When Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde arrived to console the family, Sule stood beside Sunetra, facilitating the high-profile visits while ensuring the private sanctity of the family’s grief remained intact.
Future Implications
While the immediate focus is on mourning, the sight of Sule and Sunetra together has ignited intense speculation regarding the future of the NCP. The two factions had recently begun tactical collaborations for the January 2026 municipal elections in Pune. Political analysts suggest that Sule’s proximity to Sunetra and Ajit’s sons during this crisis could accelerate a formal reconciliation, potentially reunifying the “Pawar Empire” under the mentorship of Sharad Pawar.
January 30, 2026, 04:33 IST
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