4 minutes of readingBombayFebruary 5, 2026 08:03 pm IST
Even as Sunetra Pawar took over as Deputy Chief Minister, succeeding her husband, the vacuum created by the death of Ajit Pawar poses a challenge that does not only for his party NCPbut also by its ruling Mahayuti ally, the BJP.
According to BJP leaders, managing coalition politics may become more difficult amid rumors of mergers between the NCP and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP).
Sharad Pawar on Wednesday publicly expressed his displeasure over the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis questioning the proposed merger between the two factions of the NCP.
“I am happy that Sunetra Pawar has taken oath as Deputy CM. On the issue of merger, talks were going on between Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil. What right does Devendra Fadnavis have to question the merger when he was not involved?” Pawar had said.
BJP strategists acknowledged the internal challenges but maintained their support for the Ajit Pawar faction. “NCP versus NCP (SP) will clash on multiple fronts. But we will firmly back the NCP which has pledged support to the NDA. We are committed to Ajit Pawar’s family and his NCP faction,” a party functionary said.
At the same time, senior leaders admitted that there is no clear roadmap.
“There are no definitive solutions as we don’t know how things will evolve in the future. From what we understand, Sunetra Pawar along with the NCP will be able to keep the organization intact and consolidate itself as it is in power,” a minister said, adding that with three and a half years left for the Assembly elections, it is unlikely that the sitting MPs will explore alternatives, including the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
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Another key reason for the BJP’s concerns is the NCP’s strong Maratha support base.
The BJP’s core electoral base has traditionally been the Other Backward Classes community. Their massive victory in the 2024 Assembly elections was partly attributed to the consolidation of the OBC amid sharp polarization over demands for Maratha reservations. By bringing in leaders like Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde and NCP’s Ajit Pawar as deputy chief ministers, the BJP projected strong Maratha representation within the Mahayuti alliance.
His strategy of bringing in prominent Maratha leaders from other parties, including Ashok Chavan, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Narayan Rane, had yielded electoral results.
However, the party has struggled to project an internal Maratha leader capable of matching the influence of the Pawar family.
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“A sizeable Maratha community, especially those connected with institutional and cooperative networks, have always looked to Sharad Pawar as their leader for support and guidance. It was the same base that also followed Ajit Pawar. Some agitation is now inevitable in this segment. We will have to see how it manifests itself when Sunetra Pawar takes over the government,” said Rajendra Kondhare, president of Akhil Bharatiya Maratha Mahasangh.
Stating that Ajit Pawar’s death has created a vacuum in the community, he added, “To achieve leadership and stature like Ajit Pawar, it takes 20-25 years.”
An NCP minister, who served during the Sharad Pawar government, noted that ideological continuity had kept the party’s support base intact despite the split.
“Those who do not subscribe to right-wing politics have always found a credible alternative in the NCP and NCP (SP). Despite the division in the party, we share a common ideology and electoral base,” he said, adding that the cadres did not distinguish between senior and junior Pawar.
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“Now, with the death of Ajit Pawar, they naturally see Sharad Pawar as their godfather. Therefore, sooner rather than later both factions will have to take some concrete decision to address the unrest within the cadre,” he said while expressing confidence that a solution would eventually emerge.