Ajit Pawar: The sudden death of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Supremo Ajit Pawar on 27 January 2026 in a plane crash has thrown the politics of Maharashtra into complete chaos. To sum up, the untimely demise of Pawar has left the NCP rudderless and raised many urgent questions: Who will now lead the party – his wife Sunetra Pawar, his son Parth Pawar, or will the NCP merge back with Sharad Pawar’s faction?
The Sudden Demise Of Ajit Pawar
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died in a tragic air crash on 27 January 2026 early morning. Many believe that Ajit’s NCP was inching towards a formal merger with Sharad Pawar’s NCP–SP. The death of Ajit has now left a leadership vacuum at the heart of Maharashtra’s second-largest party in the Mahayuti.
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Without the political heft of Ajit, the presence of NCP in the state government is in serious doubt. Allies would now closely watch who will step into the top post.
Sunetra Pawar: The Immediate Heir?
Senior party leaders of NCP are already looking at Sunetra Pawar, Ajit’s wife and Rajya Sabha MP, as the most natural successor to hold the party together. Sunetra has her own political base and a sympathy wave driving her ambition to party supremacy. In political circles, Sunetra is seen as someone who can manage both the party workers and the government’s demands.
The elevation of Sunetra Pawar could help NCP maintain its OBC-Muslim base. It would also help ensure that the party’s leadership does not get handed over to an outsider.
Parth Pawar: The Next-Gen Contender
Ajit Pawar’s elder son, Parth Pawar, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election, is now emerging as a prime contender for the political legacy.
If the NCP refuses to merge with Sharad Pawar’s faction, Parth is likely to be groomed as the long‑term leader, with Sunetra playing the role of a guiding elder. However, his entry will also intensify the internal rivalry between the old guard and the younger generation, especially in the crucial Pune-Solapur belt.
Will The NCP Merge With Sharad Pawar’s Faction?
A merger between NCP and NCP-SP would certainly mean that the NCP would make a return to the Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) camp, upsetting the current Mahayuti balance. For Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule, this could be a golden chance to rebuild the NCP’s pan‑Maharashtra dominance and reclaim the legitimacy of the “original” party.
