Ajit Pawar's death and its deep impact on Maharashtra's political landscape

Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar

• Ajit Pawar dies in plane crash, leaving a major political vacuum in Maharashtra
• His death creates uncertainty for NCP and strains BJP-led alliance in the state
• No clear successor; NCP faces leadership challenges ahead of key elections

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The sudden death of Ajit Pawar, one of Maharashtra’s most powerful mass leaders, has created a deep political vacuum in the state, with implications extending beyond its borders.

Pawar, 66, died on Wednesday after his plane crashed while landing in Baramati.

Maharashtra, which sends the second-highest number of MPs to Parliament after Uttar Pradesh, plays a decisive role in national politics. Pawar’s absence is therefore expected to reshape state-level power equations and influence broader national alignments.

Ajit Pawar carved out a significant political space for himself in Maharashtra after stepping out of the towering shadow of his uncle, Sharad Pawar, and cause a split down the middle of NCP. Within just a year, Ajit Pawar successfully retained the NCP name and clock symbol, dealing a body blow to his uncle.

His authority over legislators and firm organisational control kept the breakaway group intact and politically relevant within the BJP-led ruling alliance.

Ajit Pawar’s faction currently has 41 MLAs in the Maharashtra assembly. The BJP, meanwhile, has 132 legislators, while the Shiv Sena holds 57 seats.

Although the BJP–Shiv Sena combine has the numerical strength to ensure stability on its own, with the majority mark at 145, the support of Ajit Pawar’s 41 MLAs has served as a crucial hedge against possible crossovers and future political uncertainties, including the risk of Eknath Shinde’s camp turning uneasy.

The presence is not that profound in Parliament since Ajit's faction has just two MPs: one in Lok Sabha and one in Rajya Sabha.

However, the most immediate impact of Ajit's death will be felt within the NCP faction he led. Leaders who left Sharad Pawar’s camp to back Ajit Pawar now face a leadership vacuum. With local body elections and key contests ahead, the absence of his political grip is expected to trigger internal jockeying among senior leaders and loyalists.

Strain in BJP alliance

Ajit Pawar’s faction remained part of the BJP-led government in Maharashtra until January 2026, with the alliance resting largely on his personal rapport and bargaining power as deputy chief minister. However, strains had begun to surface even before his death.

During the recent civic body elections, tensions between the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP came into the open. In a rare political moment, Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar fought together in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Though the Pawar alliance suffered a drubbing, the reunion trigger talks of a potential merger of the two factions. As recently as last week, NCP's Lok Sabha leader Sunil Tatkare said that the party is open for merger talks as long as it stays within the NDA fold.

Now, with Ajit Pawar no longer in the picture, there will be uncertainty on both sides of the political divide. The spotlight will be on the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and the course it chooses in the days following his nephew’s death: whether it seeks to consolidate its ranks, reach out to Ajit's loyalists or seek a factional realignment.

For the moment, the development leaves both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on edge.

Leadership gap

Ajit Pawar’s death has also exposed a chronic weakness within the NCP and Maharashtra politics: the absence of a commanding second line of leadership.

Veteran leaders such as Chhagan Bhujbal, Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare have experience and organisational strength but remain largely region-specific in influence. Bhujbal’s base is in Nashik, Patel’s influence lies in Bhandara-Gondia and behind-the-scenes management, while Tatkare’s hold rarely extends beyond Raigad.

Other leaders, including Anil Deshmukh in Vidarbha and Nawab Malik in Mumbai, continue to face legal and political challenges, further narrowing leadership options. Analysts say none currently commands the statewide authority or mass appeal needed to fill the vacuum left by Ajit Pawar.

On succession, it seems premature to project Ajit Pawar’s sons, Parth Pawar and Jay Pawar, as political heirs. Both are yet to establish a distinct political identity among voters or within the party. His wife, Sunetra, is influential within the party but does not enjoy a mass base. She even lost the Lok Sabha elections from Baramati to NCP(SP)'s Supriya Sule.