Ajit Pawar dies in plane crash: Maharashtra ruling coalition loses its only credible secular face; opposed UP CM Yogi’s ‘batenge toh katenge’ slogan

NAGPUR: The death of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has not only left a leadership void in Mahayuti but has taken away what many in political circles describe as the alliance's only secular face. Pawar consistently projected a balanced political persona that helped Mahayuti attract secular votes.

Symbolism mattered in Pawar's politics, and one of the most visible markers of his ideological distance from hardline positions was his consistent decision to skip visits to RSS Smruti Mandir in Nagpur during Maharashtra legislature's winter sessions. While senior BJP leaders and even alliance partners made it a point to visit the memorial of Sangh founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar during the winter session, Pawar and his party members stayed away.




That ideological line was visible again in the run-up to 2024 Lok Sabha elections. When BJP's star campaigner UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath talked about 'batenge toh katenge', it was Pawar who opposed the line. Assuring members of the minority community during a rally in Beed in Nov 2024, Pawar said "We have got your back. Why are you worried? Someone said 'batenge to katenge', it will not work in Maharashtra. You do it in the north, not in Maharashtra. This state belongs to saints. Maharashtra is the land of Shiva followers. A land of Shahu, Phule and Ambedkar. Our blood carries their teachings, owing to which we will move forward in the way shown by them."

Last year as the controversy over Aurangzeb's tomb raged and ultimately culminated in communal riots in Nagpur in March, Pawar again stood up for minorities. Barely 10 days after the Nagpur flare-up, Pawar at an event at Islam Gymkhana in Mumbai said he will not allow anyone to harm Muslims. Pawar said "India's strength lies in its unity in diversity. We should not fall into the trap of divisive forces. We have just celebrated Holi while Gudi Padwa and Eid are coming. I want to assure you that your brother Ajit Pawar is with you."

Again during the BMC election campaign, despite criticism from coalition allies, he kept his colleague Nawab Malik, who was out on bail in an Enforcement Directorate case, involved in campaigning and decision-making. Now with Pawar gone, many wonder if NCP will continue to hew to the secular line adopted by him.