‘After Ajit Pawar, there’s no leader in Maharashtra who can effectively bridge rural-urban divide’
- Bhavika Jain
- TIMESOFINDIA.COMUpdated: Feb 02, 2026, 19:35 IST IST
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.
