Ajit Pawar sought reunion of NCPs, but his death raises fresh questions; Sunil Tatkare, Praful Patel likely to decide party’s path

PUNE: NCP chief Ajit Pawar's sudden death has complicated the possible merger of the two NCP groups, which was imminent after the Feb 5 zilla parishad elections in Maharashtra.Members of both NCP groups are united in grief but, considering the political dynamics in the state, where NCP groups are in rival camps, a consensus on uniting in the absence of the man who was the driving force behind the merger appears difficult. The 2023 split in the party divided the Pawar family; the tragedy on Wednesday has brought them together. Still, when it comes to NCP's merger, it will all depend on the political stand the members adopt- either to continue with Mahayuti, as a partner with BJP in the state, or go with Congress and Sena (UBT) as an MVA member.A senior NCP functionary and close associate of Ajit Pawar told TOI, "Talk of a reunion was limited to Pawar family members. They were still working out a strategy to involve other senior members from both sides to take the proposal forward. Due to Ajit Pawar's death, the reunion process is likely to stop for some time, till the NCP finds its new chief."For decades Ajit Pawar was seen as the inheritor of the party his uncle, veteran politician Sharad Pawar, founded. With him gone, political observers said his wife, Rajya Sabha member Sunetra, could be the choice to lead the party, at least for a while given the strong emotions of party workers attached to Ajit Pawar.Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel likely to decide path“NCP has always been associated with the Pawar family, nobody has thought of a member other than one from the Pawar family leading either group. Considering the sympathy factor, Sunetra can be the option to not only lead the party but also negotiate merger talks with the other group, who are also part of her family,” political analyst Prakash Pawar said.However, a decision to merge will not be easy. On the one hand, senior NCP MLAs, who are part of the Mahayuti govt, will insist on continuing in govt, while those with Sharad Pawar’s group in opposition will not want their group to compromise on Phule-Ambedkar-Shahu’s ideology.Ajit Pawar’s presence helped the Pawars carry out a balancing act. Now the two groups will have to arrive at a joint political stand. NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and its working president, Supriya Sule, will have to take a call on joining the NDA at the national level, and Mahayuti at the state level, if they want to take ownership of the NCP merger, because asking NCP MLAs to step out of the Mahayuti alliance may lead to some of them switching to Shiv Sena or BJP.The other scenario is if 85-yearold Sharad Pawar, whose ill health has kept him from electioneering after the assembly election in 2024, takes the lead for a merger. Prakash Pawar said Sharad Pawar could get Supriya and state NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil to revive the party, but its political stand will have to be clear.NCP state president Sunil Tatkare and working president Praful Patel are likely to play important roles in deciding its path, but they lack the overall acceptance within their group and don’t enjoy a mass base like the Pawars. “Both are inclined towards BJP but, considering NCP’s secular ideology, they will find it difficult to continue the balancing act which Ajit Pawar did. If the merger does not happen, these leaders will be challenged in keeping the flock together,” a political analyst said.