Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and six-time Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, died in a plane crash on Wednesday morning. Ajit Pawar’s political influence can be gauged from the fact that he is the longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. However, his passing has raised many questions about the future of the NCP he led.
What will happen next for the NCP? Can the NCP survive without Ajit Pawar? What will happen to the ongoing reconciliation efforts between Ajit and Sharad Pawar? Who will be the new face of the NCP? Who could be the NCP’s deputy CM? Let’s find out…
Following the untimely death of its chief in a plane crash, the NCP’s future is shrouded in uncertainty and political crisis.
Ajit Pawar’s faction (recognized by the Election Commission as the official NCP) currently has 41 MLAs in the Maharashtra Assembly. The party also has one MP in the Lok Sabha. Therefore, there are many possibilities regarding his successor…
His wife, Sunetra Pawar (Rajya Sabha MP), or his sons, Parth and Jay Pawar, could be brought forward to carry on his legacy. Although Parth Pawar has contested elections before, he was defeated. Since then, he has not been as active in Maharashtra politics, leaving some unanswered questions about his father’s political acumen and grassroots influence.
Following the demise of Ajit Pawar, speculation has intensified about a merger between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party—the NCP and the NCP (SP).
There have been recent indications of this. Just a few days ago, the two factions contested the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal elections in alliance.
It is believed that Sharad Pawar may attempt to reunite the party by bringing together his grandsons (Parth and Jai) and leaders from the Ajit faction.
Sources claim that efforts are underway to bring the two factions together. Discussions have even taken place between Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar. Even Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut recently claimed that the two parties are coming together.
The original Nationalist Congress Party, which later split into two, was founded by Sharad Pawar. The current figures in Ajit Pawar’s NCP were also once close associates of Sharad Pawar and leaders of his party. Therefore, Sharad Pawar, who had indicated his intention to retire from politics by the end of 2026, may now consider changing his plans. He may attempt to unite the two factions, particularly to provide stability to the Pawar dynasty and secure the future of Supriya Sule and the next generation of the family.
