NEW DELHI, May 29, 2024 – Maharashtra is reeling after the sudden death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash Wednesday, leaving a gaping hole in the state’s political landscape and sparking renewed speculation about a potential reunion with his uncle, Sharad Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party.
A Merger in the Works? Pawar’s Final days
Was Ajit Pawar actively pursuing a reunification of the fractured Nationalist Congress Party before his untimely death?
- Ajit Pawar was reportedly “100% keen” on merging the two NCP factions, according to a close aide.
- The deputy chief minister had confided in associates just five days before the crash that a merger was “imminent.”
- Despite a 2023 split, channels of communication between the Pawar factions remained open.
- The future of the NCP is now uncertain, with potential succession battles brewing within Ajit Pawar’s group.
The question of whether Ajit Pawar was working to bring the two NCP factions back together dominated discussion in the wake of Wednesday’s tragedy. A senior aide told the Press Trust of India that Pawar was wholeheartedly committed to a reunion with the group led by his uncle, Sharad Pawar.
Q: Was a merger between the NCP factions actually close to happening?
A: According to those closest to Ajit Pawar, the process was nearly complete, with a merger expected within days.He reportedly discussed the imminent reunification just five days before his death.
Kiran Gurjar, a longtime associate of Pawar’s dating back to the mid-1980s, revealed that the deputy chief minister had shared his plans with him just five days before the fatal crash. “He was one hundred per cent keen on merging both the factions. He had told me five days ago that the entire process was complete and the merger was imminent in the next few days,” Gurjar said.
Eknath Khadse, a leader from the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), echoed this sentiment, stating simply, “Both factions of NCP to come together.”
Pawar himself had previously indicated to sources that reuniting the party was his top priority, with the blessing of Sharad Pawar. The irony is palpable: Ajit Pawar orchestrated the 2023 split that fractured the NCP and aligned a majority of its legislators with the BJP-Shiv Sena-led Mahayuti government, leaving his uncle with a diminished opposition faction. Yet, he concurrently secured the party’s official recognition and the coveted “watch” symbol from the election Commission.
A Leaderless NCP Faces Uncertainty
Despite the division, lines of communication between the two Pawar-led groups never fully severed. Mutual respect within the family persisted, and recent collaboration on local body elections fueled speculation that a merger was unavoidable. Now, the NCP finds itself without a clear leader. With senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal facing health challenges and Ajit Pawar gone,the party’s future is deeply uncertain.
Within Ajit Pawar’s faction, a
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