NEW DELHI: The sudden death of Ajit Pawar has left his party, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), with many challenges. After losing its most skilful political manager, the party is now in a Catch-22 situation over a possible merger with the rival faction, while also keeping the alliance with the BJP intact.As “Ajit Dada” was cremated in Baramati on Thursday after a tragic plane crash, four questions are staring straight at the party.
- Will the party merge with the rival faction of Sharad Pawar?
- Which way the united NCP go? NDA or INDIA bloc
- Who will replace Ajit Pawar in the Maharashtra cabinet?
- Who will take over as party president?
NCP mergerAmid the ongoing speculations, the Pawar family has to take a call over the merger of the party, which underwent a split in 2023. According to senior NCP leader and a minister in the Fadnavis cabinet, Narhari Zirwal said that the “two factions are already together”, claiming that there was “no point in remaining scattered.”“The two factions are already together (for local body polls). Everyone has realised that there is no point in remaining scattered and we have to be together," Zirwal said.Meanwhile, state NCP (Sharad Pawar) president Shashikant Shinde told news agency PTI that Ajit Pawar, before his death, Ajit had spoke about sitting together and taking a decision on the merger of the two NCPs after municipal and local body polls in Maharashtra.
“When we had met for an alliance of the two parties for Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad corporation elections (which took place on January 15), he (Ajit) had said let’s sit together and discuss (merger) after Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls (scheduled on February 5),” he said.“Ajit Dada (elder brother) was an emotional man and wanted the two factions to come together and the (Pawar) family to remain united. He had felt enough was enough.
If the family and parties want a reconciliation, we have no problem. Now, we have to see if we can fulfil what became his last wish,” he added.This comes after both the factions contested the local body polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad together.However, the united Nationalist Congress Party suffered a massive setback in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune municipal elections. In the 165-member Pune Municipal Corporation, the NCP won only 27 seats and NCP (SP) three seats against the BJP’s tally of 119, whereas in the 102-member Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body, Ajit Pawar’s party got 37 and Sharad Pawar’s faction drew a blank, while the BJP got 84 seats.In 2023, Ajit Pawar, along with a group of senior leaders, parted ways with Sharad Pawar and joined hands with the BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. He had raised objections over Sharad Pawar continuing to lead the party, despite his old age.Ajit was sworn in as deputy chief minister under this new alliance. The Election Commission later recognised Ajit’s faction as the legitimate NCP, retaining the ‘clock’ symbol.Will the united NCP stay in Mahayuti?After the merger, the united NCP will also have to take a call on whether to continue to stay in the Mahayuti alliance or step out and join the opposition.According to political analysts, if NCP (SP)’s working president Supriya Sule takes a call to join the opposition, several NCP MLAs could oppose the move and switch to Shiv Sena or the BJP.However, if the party decides to stay in the alliance with the BJP and Shiv Sena, those with Sharad Pawar’s group in the opposition will not want their group to compromise on Phule-Ambedkar-Shahu’s ideology.Sunetra Pawar to replace Ajit Pawar in Maharashtra cabinet?NCP leaders are also pushing Sunetra Pawar — wife of Ajit Pawar — as his replacement in the Fadnavis cabinet. Narhari Zirwal said it is the people’s wish that late Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra, a Rajya Sabha member, be inducted into the state ministry.Asked about the NCP’s future after the untimely death of Ajit Pawar, who was also the party president, Zirwal said that people want “vahini” (sister-in-law, referring to Sunetra Pawar) to be made a cabinet member.“We will talk to our leadership about it (inducting Sunetra in the cabinet) and take a decision,” Zirwal, a close confidante of Ajit Pawar, said.Given that Sunetra hasn’t been politically active despite being a Rajya Sabha MP, it will be interesting to see whether she will be allotted a seat in the Maharashtra cabinet. And even if she is given a seat in the cabinet, will she be made deputy chief minister or finance minister of the state — the posts Ajit Pawar held?Who will lead the party?In a situation where the merger plan fails, another question arises over who will become the president of the party.
While former Union minister and party working president Praful Patel and state unit chief Sunil Tatkare are likely contenders, the Pawars would be reluctant to let someone from outside the family lead the party.Another NCP leader and Ajit Pawar confidante, Pramod Hindurao, maintained that Sunetra Pawar should carry forward the legacy of her husband and take care of party workers.“Considering the sympathy factor, Sunetra can be the option to not only lead the party but also negotiate merger talks with the other group, who are also part of her family,” political analyst Prakash Pawar told TOI.
