After Ajit, NCP splits in 2: Bhujbal, Patel bet on Sunetra; Tatkare camp wants control

The sudden death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has triggered intense political churn within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), with a growing chorus of leaders urging that his wife, Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar, step into a central leadership role, both within the party and the state government.

As Ajit Pawar’s mortal remains were consigned to flames in Baramati on Thursday, senior NCP leaders publicly and privately began closing ranks around Sunetra Pawar, projecting her as the natural successor to carry forward the Pawar political legacy.

While formal deliberations are expected only after the state’s three-day mourning period ends, internal consultations have already begun behind closed doors.

Senior party leader and Maharashtra minister Narhari Zirwal said there was widespread sentiment among party workers and legislators that Sunetra Pawar should be brought into active politics.

Referring to her respectfully as “vahini”, Zirwal said the demand to give her a decisive role was emerging organically from within the organisation and would be placed before the top leadership for a final call.

According to party insiders, a group of NCP legislators is expected to meet Sunetra Pawar in the coming days. On Thursday itself, working president Praful Patel and senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal held a private meeting with her, further fuelling speculation that the leadership transition may be fast-tracked.

The demand has also taken a formal shape. NCP vice-president Suresh Ghule has written to Praful Patel and state unit chief Sunil Tatkare, pressing for Sunetra Pawar’s appointment as both party president and Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister.

Ghule has called for an urgent meeting to announce the decision, arguing that clarity is essential to stabilise the party after Ajit Pawar’s sudden demise.

Echoing this sentiment, former minister and newly appointed NCP spokesperson Anil Patil said the party had worked under the leadership of the Pawar family for decades and was prepared to continue doing so.

When asked whether there would be resistance to Sunetra Pawar assuming charge, Patil asserted that there was near-total consensus in her favour.

However, not all voices within the party are aligned on the exact power structure going forward. A section of senior leaders believes Sunetra Pawar should be elevated as party president, while the roles of deputy chief minister and finance minister, portfolios held by Ajit Pawar, should be assigned to a seasoned administrator.

This group is advocating the name of Sunil Tatkare, citing his long ministerial experience, including handling key departments such as finance, water resources, and energy.

Tatkare’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) background has also entered the political calculus. Yet, many within the NCP argue that the party’s leadership must remain with a Maratha face from the Pawar family, pointing out that nearly half of the party’s 41 MLAs belong to the Maratha community.

Adding another layer of political intrigue, senior leaders from the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) faction also met Sunetra Pawar at her residence on Thursday.

The meeting has revived speculation about a possible reunification of the two splintered factions. Leaders present included Jayant Patil, Shashikant Shinde, and former home minister Anil Deshmukh.

Jayant Patil later revealed that talks to merge the two factions were already underway before Ajit Pawar’s death. He said both sides had agreed to jointly contest zilla parishad elections, with a formal merger announcement planned after the results.

Former minister Rajesh Tope corroborated this, stating that legal steps towards unification had begun but were interrupted by the tragic air crash.

Ajit Pawar’s NCP is currently part of the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, alongside the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Pawar had split from his uncle Sharad Pawar in July 2023 to join the ruling coalition, reshaping the state’s political landscape.

Ajit Pawar died on Wednesday when the chartered aircraft he was travelling in from Mumbai to Baramati crashed while he was en route to campaign for the zilla parishad elections. The accident claimed five lives and sent shockwaves through Maharashtra’s political establishment.

With succession debates, cabinet reshuffles, and reunion talks unfolding simultaneously, Sunetra Pawar now stands at the centre of a rapidly evolving political moment — one that could redefine the future of the NCP and Maharashtra politics.