Pawar’s death leaves a big gap in Maharashtra’s politicspublished at 09:22 GMT
09:22 GMT
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption,
Ajit Pawar (left) with his uncle, veteran politician Sharad Pawar (sitting) in a photo from 2023
Ajit Pawar’s death will shake up the politics of Maharashtra, home to India’s financial capital Mumbai.
Over the past few years, the state has witnessed turbulent politics, with at least two established parties splitting into factions. Ajit Pawar himself broke away from his uncle Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in 2023 along with a group of MLAs and formed a faction which was later officially recognised as the NCP by India’s Election Commission. He then became part of a coalition that governed the state along with PM Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena.
He had the reputation of a shrewd politician and served as the state’s deputy chief minister several times, sometimes jumping alliances overnight to stay in power. He had a strong connect with people and had the reputation of a mass leader. People from his constituency of Baramati, where his plane was headed when it crashed, have been sharing their grief at his unexpected death.
His party had 41 legislators in the 288-member Maharashtra state assembly. His death won’t lead to the government collapsing but it will leave his MLAs without their strongest leader. It remains to be seen whether they rally around another leader in their own party or choose to jump ship.