For nearly a decade now, former Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was the limiting factor for the Pawar dynasty. Now, that factor is gone, leaving the Maha math open—and one of the most influential political families in the country on crossroads.
What’s next for his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)? And, who will carry forward his political legacy—the wife, his sons or will it be someone from outside the family? The disappointing results for the party in the recently concluded corporation had initiated the speculation regarding both factions of the NCP merging ahead. According to a media report, a merger was to be announced as soon as 8 February.
Pawars have always maintained that the family and politics are separate—a perception not easy to carry in public life. Even when NCP-SP leader Supriya Sule was pitted against her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar, and Ajit stood against his nephew Yugendra Pawar. (moved up)
Ajit could never take the Pawar out of the NCP, and the talks of the merger prove that the rest of the Pawars could not survive without their unpredictable son and his politics. There have been occasions in the past when the Pawar family’s grip over Maharashtra politics appeared loose. But never out of relevance. And that is why it is ThePrint’s Newsmaker of the week.
Eight-term MLA Ajit ‘dada’
Ajit, also popularly known as ‘dada’, was born with a silver spoon. He was the quintessential angry young man of Indian politics, yet strict and disciplined. For decades, he would start his work in the morning, a quality quite remarkable for a politician. In one of his early interviews, Ajit had admitted to waking up at 5 am every single day to begin work at 6 am sharp. He would be one of the first ministers to reach the Mantralaya (secretariat building) in Mumbai around 9 am.
During elections, the interview process would begin even before 6 am. Over the years, he had earned a reputation as a politician who was an able administrator and a finance minister who would highlight fiscal discipline, despite facing corruption charges himself.
An eight-term MLA, Ajit ‘dada’ had his ear to the ground. He was one of the few politicians who, despite criss-crossing across political lines, had not lost his direct connection with the masses, a quality which helped him keep his flock together and expand the party into the prosperous western Maharashtra cooperatives belt. While he managed the affairs back at home, his uncle Sharad Pawar started to concentrate on Delhi politics.
Known for his quick wit, humour, and crude tone, Ajit was one of the few politicians who would not give assurances for the sake of it, his supporters revealed after his death. Despite being open to accepting the other side, he remained true to his ideology of Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar and remained non-communal in his career.
However, over the years of a successful career, one dream remained unfilled—the chief minister’s chair, an ambition he would often speak out loud. With his sudden exit, the dream too has gone into oblivion.
Also read: Ajit Pawar’s death is another ‘what if’ moment in Indian politics
What next for NCP?
From deputy chief minister to finance minister to guardian minister, and a party chief, Ajit has left a big void. A six-time deputy chief minister, a record for a politician, whenever in power, Ajit was equally interested in becoming the guardian minister of Pune, a district where his home—Baramati—is.
The NCP, formed by the party supremo Sharad Pawar in 1999, was split into two in July 2023 when Ajit, along with a few leaders and MLAs, decided to join hands with the Mahayuti government (BJP and Shiv Sena).
Ajit’s faction, though it had leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal, Praful Patel, and Sunil Tatkare, was mainly carved out of his personal identity and charisma.
And so to carry forward his political legacy, according to one theory, Sunetra would be given the mandate. Which means power may remain on this side of the Pawar family, and the senior Pawar faction may have to wait longer. His elder son, Parth, unsuccessfully tried to begin his political journey in 2019, where he lost the Lok Sabha election. Meanwhile, his younger son Jay, though he has been active behind the scenes for a year, is too young to be involved in politics.
Another theory is that both NCPs will merge.
According to NCP-SP leader Jayant Patil, both party factions have been in talks for several months, and the possibility of a merger has been considered. He told the media that after the zilla parishad elections, both factions would have announced a formal merger. But with this untimely incident, it needs to be seen whether the plan is still on and when the merger will be announced, as now the senior Pawar would be the final authority in the family and party.
But if both factions come together, will Pawar accept going into the Mahayuti government, or will he still prefer to stay out in the Opposition, the reason why the NCP had split in the first place?
If the merger happens and NCP remains in government, some leaders who do not subscribe to the idea of the BJP, like Prashant Jagtap of Pune, will have to take a call for themselves. Likewise, if the NCP decides to stay in Opposition, again, some leaders will have to individually take a call for themselves. Whichever way the NCP goes, the power levers of the party are likely to remain in the Pawar family.
Even for the BJP, this tragedy has dented their prospects of supremacy in Mahayuti. BJP, especially Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, is known to be closer to Ajit than his other deputy, Eknath Shinde. With Ajit no more around, Fadnavis cannot bargain hard with Shinde.
The MVA and Opposition space in Maharashtra can go either way. Will it grow or shrink further? If the corporation results are any indicator, NCP’s footprints have started going down in Tier 2 cities as well as cities like Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad—stronghold of Pawars. Maharashtra is on the cusp of a big political churn, yet again. And it is the Pawar family that holds the strings.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)