Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), tragically passed away in a plane crash on Wednesday morning, sending shockwaves across the nation.
Ajit was en route to Baramati to attend a rally for the Zilla Parishad elections when his chartered aircraft crashed and went down in flames. All five people on board lost their lives.
Ajit's death comes amid reports of a potential thaw between the two factions of the NCP, with increasing speculation that he might return to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.
In 2023, the NCP suffered a vertical split when Ajit, along with several senior leaders, broke away from the party led by his uncle Sharad Pawar and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition in Maharashtra. Recently, there had been mounting speculation that a reconciliation between the uncle and nephew was becoming more likely.
Just last week, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had expressed hope that Ajit Pawar would merge his faction with the NCP (Sharad Pawar), led by Sharad Pawar.
"Though Ajit Pawar is part of the Mahayuti alliance, he remains connected with the MVA. Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar will reunite as part of the MVA. Ajit Pawar cannot sit on two stools," Raut had said.
Following the split in the NCP and a prolonged legal battle for control of the party, the Election Commission granted Ajit Pawar's faction the original party name and the ‘clock’ symbol, while Sharad Pawar’s faction was rebranded as NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).
Ajit first raised the flag of rebellion in 2019 when he defected from the NCP to join the BJP government, becoming the Deputy Chief Minister. However, the government collapsed within 80 hours, and Ajit soon returned to the NCP.
In recent months, a clear thaw between the two factions had become evident. They formed an alliance for municipal elections in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad earlier this month, and have also announced a tie-up for the upcoming third phase of civic body polls on February 5. Both factions had agreed to contest under Ajit Pawar’s faction's ‘clock’ symbol.
Signs of reconciliation had been apparent over the past several months, with members of the Pawar family appearing together at multiple events and posing for photos.
"In an interview with the Times of India earlier this month, Ajit acknowledged that the bitterness between the two factions of the NCP had diminished. He hinted at a possible reunion with his uncle, stating that he believes in the politics of 'addition, not subtraction.'
"There has been no discussion with Pawar Saheb yet. However, I want to make it clear that there are no permanent enemies in politics," he said.
In an interview with the Indian Express last week, the NCP’s Maharashtra unit chief Sunil Tatkare said that the two factions would hold discussions for a merger if circumstances arise. "It is possible. We will fight together and this means there will be one symbol," he said.