Ajit Pawar’s death reignites NCP merger debate

The untimely death of a dynamic leader, the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar, has left a void in the state's politics and given rise to countless questions about the future course of action. Issues such as party leadership, the NCP's position in the government, and the merger between the Ajit faction and the NCP headed by his uncle and Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar are being debated now. 

It is unlikely that Sharad Pawar will become a member of the Rajya Sabha again after his retirement in April. Furthermore, Sharad Pawar has avoided a direct alliance with the BJP so far.

In the 80s, his Socialist Congress was part of the Progressive Democratic Front which included the BJP, but it is said that many workers with progressive thoughts are with Pawar due to his anti-BJP stance.

During the recently-concluded municipal corporation elections, both NCP factions contested together in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad and continued their alliance in the ongoing Pune Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections.

However, Ajit Pawar’s death has put both the factions in a fix whether to continue the poll-related alliance or go ahead with a merger, keeping in mind the state Assembly elections slated for 2029.

In case a merger happens, will Supriya Sule be given some responsibility at the Centre?

The next few months will be crucial in finding answers to these questions and also to find out who will lead the party in the state after Ajit Dada. The BJP's role in this will be decisive.

Ajit Pawar faced criticism for joining hands with the BJP. It was an ideological struggle. However, many who went with him believed that staying in power helps get the work of the constituency and the workers done.

The formula that emerged was that a practical approach is more important than ideology. However, he suffered a setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where Sunil Tatkare was his only winning MP.

Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra Tai, lost to Supriya Pawar in Baramati. This was a shock to him in the Pawar family's political conflict. He compensated for this in the Assembly elections by winning the third-highest number of seats in the state.

Realising that conflict with the BJP was not beneficial, he maintained cordial relations with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP’s central leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

However, he reiterated that despite being a ruling partner in the Mahayuti government he would not make any compromise on his secular credentials and also on the thoughts of Shivaji, Phule, Ambedkar and Shahu. Consequently, his image remained largely unaffected.

By winning with a record margin in Baramati during the Assembly elections, he proved his grip on the constituency.

The performance of the Sharad Pawar faction was poor in the Assembly elections, and the Mahayuti won a massive majority. The intensity of the opposition decreased.

Subsequently, to challenge the BJP in the municipal council and corporation elections, both factions of the NCP formed alliances in many places. This led to talks about a merger.

Now, after Ajit Pawar's untimely demise, the issues of merger and leadership have come to the fore.

Before the split in the NCP in July 2023, Ajit Pawar handled responsibilities in the state while Supriya Sule managed politics at the Centre. After Ajit Pawar set up his separate front, Sharad Pawar’s grandson, Rohit Pawar, became more active in state politics, though his experience is relatively less.

Significantly, Ajit Pawar's name remained at the centre of state politics for nearly four decades.

He began his political career in 1982 as a director in a cooperative sugar factory. He served as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state for a record six times. Ajit Pawar's working style was straightforward: If a task could be done, he would say 'yes' and finish the worker's job on the spot; otherwise, he would say 'no' clearly. Meeting officials and workers from 6:00 AM was his daily routine.

He became the Chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank in 1991 and held the post for 16 years.

In 1991, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Baramati, the Pawar family stronghold. The very next year, he got an opportunity in the state Cabinet. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly from Baramati seven times with an increasing margin of victory.

Due to the constant presence of workers around him and his quick-witted nature, his popularity remained intact in state politics, especially in rural areas.

Despite building a massive organisation, his supporters still feel the sting of him missing out on the Chief Minister's post.

Ajit Pawar worked alongside his uncle and Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar, in politics. However, on November 23, 2019, he rebelled and took oath as Deputy Chief Minister, though this was short-lived, and he returned home.

Later, on July 2, 2023, Ajit Pawar again left the party to join the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena government. Since the majority of MLAs were with him, a vertical split occurred in the NCP, and he took oath as Deputy Chief Minister.

How the Ajit Pawar faction goes ahead without him remains to be seen.

(This story was taken from syndicated feed and was only edited for style by Gujarat Samachar Digital team)