‘After Ajit Pawar, there’s no leader in Maharashtra who can effectively bridge rural-urban divide’
For nearly 25 years, Ajit Pawar was the undisputed leader of western and southern Maharashtra. Can the NCP retain its hold over these regions in his absence, or will the BJP make inroads in the years ahead? Political scientist Nitin Birmal weighs in on these critical questions
The sudden death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash has left the state in shock. His passing comes at a time when Maharashtra’s political alignments were in flux, with questions of power, succession, and political survival becoming increasingly prominent.
Ajit Pawar’s death could also complicate a possible merger between the two rival factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). After the acrimony following the party’s split, recent months had seen growing indications — both from Ajit Pawar and his uncle Sharad Pawar — that a reunion was likely.
Ajit Pawar’s death could also complicate a possible merger between the two rival factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). After the acrimony following the party’s split, recent months had seen growing indications — both from Ajit Pawar and his uncle Sharad Pawar — that a reunion was likely.