Ajit Pawar's Death Creates Vacuum in Maharashtra Politics

Even as Sunetra Pawar took charge as the Deputy Chief Minister, succeeding her husband, the vacuum created by the death of Ajit Pawar poses a challenge not just for his party NCP , but also for its ruling Mahayuti ally BJP. According to BJP leaders, managing coalition politics may become more difficult amid the merger buzz between the NCP and and Sharad Pawar’s NCP(SP). Sharad Pawar, on Wednesday, had publicly expressed his displeasure over Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis questioning the proposed merger between the two NCP factions. “I am happy that Sunetra Pawar has taken the oath of office as the Deputy CM. On the merger issue, the talks were going on between Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil. What right does Devendra Fadnavis have to question the merger when he was not involved,” Pawar had said. BJP strategists acknowledged internal challenges but maintained their support for the Ajit Pawar faction. “The NCP versus NCP(SP) will be played out on multiple fronts. But we will strongly back the NCP which has pledged support to the NDA. We are committed to the family of Ajit Pawar and his NCP faction,” a party functionary said. At the same time, senior leaders admitted there is no clear roadmap. “There are no final solutions as we don’t know how things will evolve ahead. From what we understand Sunetra Pawar along with NCP will be able to keep the organisation intact and consolidate as it is in power,” a minister said, adding that with Assembly elections still three-and-a-half years away sitting MPs were unlikely to explore alternatives including the Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP). Another key reason for BJP’s worries is the strong Maratha support base of the NCP. The BJP core electoral base has traditionally been Other Backward Classes community. Its massive victory in the 2024 Assembly elections was attributed partly to the OBC consolidation amid sharp polarisation over Maratha reservation demands. By bringing in leaders such as Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and NCP’s Ajit Pawar as deputy chief ministers, the BJP projected strong Maratha representation within the Mahayuti alliance. Its strategy of inducting prominent Maratha leaders from other parties including Ashok Chavan, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Narayan Rane had yielded electoral gains. However, the party has struggled to project an in-house Maratha leader capable of matching the influence of the Pawar family. “A sizeable Maratha community especially those connected with institutional and cooperative networks has always looked upon Sharad Pawar as their leader for support and guidance. It was the same base which also followed Ajit Pawar. Now some unrest in this segment is inevitable. We will have to see how it manifests with Sunetra Pawar stepping into government,” Rajendra Kondhare, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Maratha Mahasangh said. Stating that Ajit Pawar’s death has created a vacuum for the community, he added, “To attain the leadership and stature like Ajit Pawar, it takes 20 to 25 years.” An NCP minister, who served under Sharad Pawar, noted that ideological continuity had kept the party support base intact despite the split. “Those who don’t subscribe to right wing politics always found a credible alternative in NCP and NCP(SP). Despite the split in the party, we shared a common ideology and electoral base,” he said adding that cadres did not distinguish between the senior and junior Pawar. “Now with Ajit Pawar death they naturally see in Sharad Pawar their godfather. Therefore, sooner than later both factions will have to take some concrete decision to address the unrest within the cadre,” he said while expressing confidence that a solution would eventually emerge.