Uncertainty grips NCP ranks in Marathwada after Ajit Pawar’s demise; calls grow for merger of 2 NCPs

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The sudden demise of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has plunged the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) into deep political uncertainty, especially in Marathwada, where he served as the party's chief organisational anchor and primary source of institutional strength. While the immediate aftermath has been marked by grief, it has also left ministers, MLAs, corporators and party workers uneasy about their future in a rapidly shifting power landscape.For decades, Sharad Pawar shaped the party's ideological direction while Ajit Pawar executed its rural strategy on the ground. In recent years, Ajit Pawar was also instrumental in mobilising dalit and Muslim voters for the ruling alliance in civic polls. With his sudden absence, the NCP's Marathwada unit finds itself at a decisive moment, awaiting clarity on leadership, unity and political continuity.Ajit Pawar had steadily expanded the NCP's organisational footprint in Marathwada, a region where the Maratha reservation issue dominates political discourse. In the last municipal corporation election, BJP won 355 councillor seats while NCP secured 301 — narrowing the gap to just 54 seats and positioning NCP as the region's second-largest political force. BJP, anticipating turbulence over the reservation issue, viewed Ajit Pawar as a vital ally in maintaining its influence in the region.Reflecting the unease among elected representatives, Nanded MLA Pratap Patil Chikhalikar on Friday urged 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.Former minister Rajesh Tope said the party was still mourning. "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 said, adding that party workers had earlier pressed both factions to agree that NCP (SP) candidates would contest local body elections on the common NCP symbol.Leaders groomed by Ajit Pawar now face tough decisions. Marathwada 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 unsure where institutional authority and support will now come from.District-level councillor representation underscores Ajit Pawar's influence: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (38), Jalna (6), Beed (60), Parbhani (42), Hingoli (30), Nanded (70), Latur (53) and Dharashiv (2). After his funeral, cadres returning home carried with them not just grief, but a profound political vacuum. "The NCP's politics in Marathwada has traditionally rested on cooperative and sugar sector institutions. Ajit Pawar significantly strengthened many sugar factories," a political analyst said.With Babasaheb Patil replacing former minister Sanjay Bansode as cooperation minister, questions loom about whether Patil will enjoy the same BJP backing that enabled Ajit Pawar to consolidate his influence — and who will now politically support Bansode.The party currently has seven MLAs in the region: Rajesh Vitekar (Parbhani), Babasaheb Patil and Sanjay Bansode (Latur), Pratap Patil Chikhalikar (Nanded), Raju Navghare (Hingoli), and Beed's Dhananjay Munde, Prakash Solanke and Vijaysinh Pandit.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 entrants such as Suresh Jethalia, Shivaji Chothe and Bhimrao Dhonde now face an uncertain political future without Ajit Pawar's guidance."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," said an NCP MLA, adding that he continued to support a merger of the two NCP factions.