Mumbai: Ajit Pawar’s sudden demise has left Maharashtra politics reeling and his faction of the Nationalist Congress Social gathering gazing an unsure future. Constructed round Ajit Pawar’s authority, the celebration now faces a management vacuum, and there may be hypothesis over the faction merging with Sharad Pawar’s NCP, and discuss of senior leaders drifting to different events.

When Ajit Pawar break up from Sharad Pawar in July 2023 together with 40 MLAs and few senior leaders like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, his celebration was constructed round his private picture. Now, the query being requested is, can the Ajit Pawar faction survive after him or will they merge with the Sharad Pawar faction.

After the meeting elections and municipal council polls, the Ajit Pawar faction emerged stronger, whereas Sharad Pawar’s NCP had considerably weakened, triggering talks of whether or not the Sharad Pawar faction would possibly merge with Ajit Pawar. Even in the course of the municipal company polls, they’d joined palms to struggle the polls collectively.

In reality, requested a few reunion, Ajit Pawar had not denied the chance and had stated it might be mentioned later.

Within the upcoming zilla parishad and panchayat samiti polls, for which Ajit Pawar was travelling to Baramati for rallies on Wednesday, each factions of NCP had determined to contest collectively on the clock image, which now belongs to the Ajit Pawar faction.

“Seems to be like steps had been being taken for each factions to come back collectively as they had been going to struggle the zilla parishad elections on one image. So now the query is who will deal with the celebration. The factions must merge and somebody from the household, both Rohit Pawar or another person, must lead since Supriya Sule has revealed that she has extra curiosity in nationwide politics,” stated political analyst Hemant Desai to ThePrint.

However political analysts consider senior leaders like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare would possibly flock to the place they achieve essentially the most politically, not essentially the Sharad Pawar faction.

“So far as members like Sunil Tatkare, or Dhananjay Munde or Praful Patel are involved, I believe they are going to favor to go along with the BJP,” Hemant Desai added.

In a situation the place the Ajit Pawar faction continues independently, analyst Abhay Deshpande stated: “Many names can come up from Rohit Pawar to Supriya Sule to steer the celebration. It’s too early to say something however some will go to Congress or BJP. And folks must regulate.”

The speedy fallout

Ajit Pawar’s demise will necessitate a bypoll in Baramati and that’s the first vacuum that must be stuffed. In 2024, Ajit Pawar had defeated his nephew Yugendra Pawar from the NCP (SP).

“Now the query is, who will lead Baramati and Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad because it was his stronghold. And since celebration was primarily concentrated in western Maharashtra, the (new) chief needs to be from western Maharashtra,” stated analyst Desai.

If the factions don’t merge, choices for the subsequent chief from throughout the household are spouse Sunetra Pawar or sons Jay or Parth. However Jay and Parth Pawar are comparatively inexperienced in politics and administration, and analysts don’t see them being given the mandate.

Sunetra entered politics when Ajit Pawar introduced her candidature for the Baramati Lok Sabha seat in opposition to his cousin Supriya Sule. Although she misplaced, she grew to become the BJP-led Mahayuti’s unopposed Rajya Sabha member.

Within the background for a few years, Sunetra was an lively social and organisational employee in Baramati by means of girls’s teams and welfare programmes.

Furthermore, if the Ajit Pawar faction is to outlive by itself, it wants to increase its affect  in Solapur, Pune, and different pockets of western Maharashtra.

Ajit Pawar’s NCP additionally must determine if it desires to proceed within the Mahayuti or be within the Opposition, the place house is shrinking. If it does go away the Mahayuti (particularly if the BJP goes it alone in 2029), Desai feels Ajit Pawar’s NCP is unlikely to hitch the Congress.

One other political analyst Prakash Bal disagrees: “I really feel the NCP must ultimately merge with Congress. Presently there may be shrinking opposition house in Maharashtra and Congress goes down too. This may give a possibility for Congress additionally to revive itself. After all, for that Rahul Gandhi and Sharad Pawar must have massive hearts.”

Leaders like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare additionally must make robust selections now. Patel has by no means been a mass chief in Maharashtra and nor has Tatkare, though he’s Ajit Pawar’s celebration’s state president. He and his household are concentrated in Raigad district the place they face stiff opposition from Shiv Sena Shinde.

One other shut affiliate of Ajit Pawar, Dhananjay Munde, has regional clout in Beed however after allegations of his aide being concerned within the homicide of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, Munde’s clout in Beed has declined.

Subsequently for Patel, Tatkare and Munde, becoming a member of a giant celebration just like the BJP is a viable possibility.

(Edited by Viny Mishra)

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Additionally learn: Ajit Pawar’s NCP reunion gamble fails in Pune & Pimpri-Chinchwad, BJP headed for majority

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