Who will inherit Sharad Pawar's legacy?

Pawar may well visualize his daughter Supriya as a future first woman chief minister of the state, but simultaneously create a lot of heartburn for ambitious nephew Ajit who has been a staunch family loyalist and backbone of the party.

Some party insiders claim it is too early for 'Saheb' to think of all these things, others say that everything is already scripted and shall be played out according to Pawar's will.

"We are all waiting for the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections and the subsequent Maharashtra assembly elections before expecting anything concrete on this issue," said a party insider.

Despite his senior age and dwindling health conditions, the Maratha strongman has not lost any of his legendary political wiliness and ability to turn the tables on the most formidable rivals.

Perhaps, the finest of political game-players - both in state and national politics - Pawar once openly harboured prime ministerial ambitions in the early 1990s.