Following the death of Maharashtra's DCM Ajit Pawar in plane crash, his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction faces a leadership vacuum. Senior party leaders are now rallying behind his wife, Sunetra Pawar, a Rajya Sabha MP, to succeed him.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra is witnessing intense internal deliberations over leadership and succession following the tragic death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28, 2026.
Amid the political uncertainty, senior party figures are increasingly rallying behind Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, proposing her for a leading role in both state government and upcoming electoral contests.
Ajit Pawar, a towering presence within the NCP and a key architect of its state-level strategy, died unexpectedly in the crash near Baramati. His demise has left a leadership vacuum in his faction of the party, prompting senior leaders to quickly explore options to preserve stability and electoral strength.
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Within hours of the funeral, senior NCP leaders including Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Munde and Sunil Tatkare met with Sunetra Pawar in Baramati — a move that has triggered widespread speculation about her political future. While some leaders have described the meeting as a courtesy call, others see it as the beginning of a formal process to position her as Deputy Chief Minister and a candidate for the Baramati Assembly bypoll left vacant by her husband’s passing.
Senior NCP leader and Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zirwal publicly echoed this sentiment, saying that public sentiment strongly favours Sunetra Pawar’s induction into the state cabinet and party leadership. He argued that naming her Deputy CM would be a fitting tribute to Ajit Pawar’s legacy and help maintain continuity.
Sunetra Pawar -- currently a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha -- would need to secure a legislative seat before taking up the Deputy CM post, paving the way for her possible contest in the Baramati bypoll. Should she choose not to enter electoral politics, sources say that Praful Patel, a seasoned strategist and senior leader, could emerge as a key figure to steer the party during this transitional phase, owing to his administrative experience and strong political networks.
The developments come at a critical juncture not only for the NCP (Ajit faction) but also for the broader political landscape in Maharashtra. With talks of merging the two NCP factions — one led by Ajit Pawar before his death and the other aligned with party patriarch Sharad Pawar — internal dynamics are fluid. Some analysts believe a unified front could strengthen the party’s position ahead of future state and national elections, while others caution that leadership disputes could hamper cohesion.
As the NCP navigates this sensitive period, party loyalists, regional supporters, and political observers are watching closely to see how succession choices — especially the potential elevation of Sunetra Pawar — will influence the party’s electoral prospects and overall influence within the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra.
The last rites of Ajit Pawar were held with full state honours on Thursday at Baramati in Pune.
