Ajit Pawar's Sudden Demise Plunges NCP into Political Uncertainty in Marathwada
The sudden and unexpected demise of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has created a profound political vacuum within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), particularly in the Marathwada region where he served as the party's chief organizational anchor and primary source of institutional strength. While the immediate aftermath has been marked by widespread grief and mourning, it has also left ministers, MLAs, corporators and party workers deeply uneasy about their political future in a rapidly shifting power landscape.
The Strategic Void in Marathwada's Political Landscape
For decades, the NCP's political machinery operated with Sharad Pawar shaping the party's ideological direction while Ajit Pawar executed its rural strategy on the ground. In recent years, Ajit Pawar became particularly instrumental in mobilizing dalit and Muslim voters for the ruling alliance during civic polls. With his sudden absence, the NCP's Marathwada unit finds itself at a decisive crossroads, anxiously awaiting clarity on leadership succession, organizational unity and political continuity.
Ajit Pawar had steadily expanded the NCP's organizational footprint across Marathwada, a region where the Maratha reservation issue dominates political discourse. In the last municipal corporation election, the BJP secured 355 councillor seats while the NCP won 301 seats, narrowing the gap to just 54 seats and positioning the NCP as the region's second-largest political force. The BJP, anticipating potential turbulence over the reservation issue, had viewed Ajit Pawar as a vital ally in maintaining its influence throughout the region.
Leadership Calls and Merger Demands Emerge
Reflecting the growing unease among elected representatives, Nanded MLA Pratap Patil Chikhalikar publicly urged on Friday that Sunetra Pawar, Ajit Pawar's widow, should assume leadership of the party. He also reiterated the growing demand for a merger of the two NCP factions, highlighting the need for organizational consolidation during this crisis.
Former minister Rajesh Tope acknowledged that the party remains in mourning, stating, "There is grief and gloom due to the demise of such a big leader. After some time, leaders from both parties will sit together and take a call." He added that party workers had previously pressed both factions to agree that NCP (SP) candidates would contest local body elections using the common NCP symbol, a matter that now requires urgent resolution.
The Extensive Network Left Without Guidance
Leaders groomed by Ajit Pawar now face difficult decisions about their political futures. Marathwada currently has 10 MLAs aligned with the NCP's power structure, along with the region's cooperation minister. Beyond legislators, 301 corporators and 11 civic body presidents — most of whom considered Ajit Pawar their central political patron — are now uncertain about where institutional authority and support will originate.
The district-level councillor representation clearly underscores Ajit Pawar's extensive influence across Marathwada:
- Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: 38
- Jalna: 6
- Beed: 60
- Parbhani: 42
- Hingoli: 30
- Nanded: 70
- Latur: 53
- Dharashiv: 2
Following his funeral, cadres returning home carried with them not just grief, but a profound political vacuum that threatens the party's traditional foundations. "The NCP's politics in Marathwada has traditionally rested on cooperative and sugar sector institutions. Ajit Pawar significantly strengthened many sugar factories," noted a political analyst, highlighting the economic dimensions of his influence.
Institutional Questions and Succession Challenges
With Babasaheb Patil replacing former minister Sanjay Bansode as cooperation minister, significant questions loom about whether Patil will enjoy the same BJP backing that enabled Ajit Pawar to consolidate his influence — and who will now provide political support to Bansode in this new configuration.
The party currently maintains seven MLAs in the region:
- Rajesh Vitekar (Parbhani)
- Babasaheb Patil (Latur)
- Sanjay Bansode (Latur)
- Pratap Patil Chikhalikar (Nanded)
- Raju Navghare (Hingoli)
- Dhananjay Munde (Beed)
- Prakash Solanke (Beed)
- Vijaysinh Pandit (Beed)
MLCs Satish Chavan and Vikram Kale — both repeatedly elected from graduate and teachers' constituencies — derive their strength from long-standing institutional networks. Former MLAs Rahul Mote and Suresh Birajdar represent the sugar sector, while new political entrants such as Suresh Jethalia, Shivaji Chothe and Bhimrao Dhonde now face an uncertain political future without Ajit Pawar's guidance and patronage.
"Ajit Pawar's influence stretched far beyond elections to cooperative, educational and industrial institutions. Routine decisions on appointments, approvals and construction have now come to a halt," revealed an NCP MLA, who added that he continues to support a merger of the two NCP factions as the most viable path forward. The coming weeks will determine whether the party can navigate this leadership crisis or whether the vacuum left by Ajit Pawar's passing will lead to lasting political realignment in Marathwada.
