Ajit Pawar’s Political Legacy: NCP’s Strength and the Seats He Left Behind

Mumbai/Pune: The sudden demise of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash has created a significant political vacuum and prompted discussions about the future of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Analysts suggest that the two NCP factions could potentially reunite, but Ajit Pawar’s leadership had been pivotal in maintaining balance.

Ajit Pawar first entered the Lok Sabha in 1991 as a Congress MP. Later, after serving as Defence Minister in the Narasimha Rao government, he returned to Maharashtra politics. When his uncle Sharad Pawar left Congress to form the NCP, Ajit remained closely associated with him. In July 2023, Ajit Pawar took charge of the NCP, consolidating political control within his hands.

Although the NCP is not very influential at the central level, it has a presence not only in Maharashtra but also in some northeastern states.

NCP’s Strength Under Ajit Pawar

Under Ajit Pawar’s leadership, NCP staged a significant comeback after winning one Lok Sabha seat. The party won 41 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly, making it the third-largest party in the state. Ajit Pawar was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister for the sixth time. In the Rajya Sabha, his wife Sunetra Pawar and party executive president Praful Patel are members. In the Lok Sabha, Sunil Tatkare is the sole NCP MP, serving as Maharashtra NCP’s key representative, while his daughter Aditi Tatkare holds a ministerial position in the Maha-Alliance government.

Seat Distribution Under Ajit Pawar

| House | Seats |
| Lok Sabha | 1 |
| Rajya Sabha | 3 |
| Maharashtra Legislative Assembly | 41 |
| Maharashtra Legislative Council | 8 |

(Note: NCP also has three MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh, and a presence in other states and Union Territories.)

NCP’s Formation and Potential Merger

The NCP was founded by Sharad Pawar on 10 June 1999, along with leaders like P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar, after leaving Congress. When Ajit Pawar assumed control of NCP in July 2023, Sharad Pawar loyalists formed a separate faction, NCP (SP). A merger of the two factions would significantly strengthen the party. Currently, NCP (SP) has 8 Lok Sabha members and 2 Rajya Sabha members, along with 10 MLAs and 3 MLCs in Maharashtra. If both factions unite, NCP would have a total of 9 Lok Sabha MPs and 50 MLAs in Maharashtra, greatly enhancing its political leverage.

Ajit Pawar’s legacy thus leaves the party in a unique position: strong in Maharashtra, with the potential to wield greater influence at the center—if the factions can reconcile.