Following the untimely death of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife, Sunetra Pawar, formally assumed the position of National President of the Nationalist Congress Party on February 26. Her appointment marks a decisive shift in Maharashtra’s political landscape and significantly dims prospects for a merger or reconciliation between her faction and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP group.

Party leaders have welcomed the move as the beginning of the “Sunetra Era,” signaling that the faction will maintain autonomy and resist pressure from the Sharad Pawar camp. According to insiders, Sunetra Pawar intends to uphold the political legacy and ideology of her late husband while consolidating the party’s organizational strength. In her first address at an NCP convention in Mumbai, she vowed to continue Ajit Pawar’s mission, invoking the philosophies of Rajarshi Shahu, Jyotirao Phule, and Dr B.R. Ambedkar, while striking an emotional chord with party workers.

The convention reflected a hardening stance toward Sharad Pawar. NCP working president Praful Patel questioned the rival faction’s authority, while senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal criticized the Sharad Pawar group for prematurely discussing a merger even before Ajit Pawar’s last rites. Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare also referenced historical grievances, citing Ajit Pawar’s being denied the Chief Ministership in 2004 to accommodate the Congress party.

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In a strategic consolidation of the family’s influence, the NCP has announced the candidacy of Parth Pawar, the elder son of Ajit and Sunetra Pawar, for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in March. The faction, as part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, holds sufficient legislative strength to secure his election. In contrast, Sharad Pawar’s own Rajya Sabha prospects appear uncertain, dependent entirely on support from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies, including Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress.

Despite the show of unity, party insiders expressed lingering concerns over the NCP’s viability in the 2029 Assembly elections. Many leaders who joined Ajit Pawar during the July 2023 split had assumed that a reunion was inevitable, but those expectations have largely dissipated following his death. Sources from the Sharad Pawar-led faction revealed that Ajit Pawar had been actively pursuing a merger to eliminate the “rebel” label and strengthen political survival amid BJP’s expanding influence in Maharashtra.

Adding further tension, Rohit Pawar, Sharad Pawar’s grand-nephew, challenged the focus on reunification, emphasizing instead the circumstances surrounding Ajit Pawar’s death and calling for transparency. Analysts suggest that the current divide may play into the BJP’s perceived strategy of keeping the two NCP factions permanently separate, potentially reshaping Maharashtra’s political dynamics for the coming years.

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