The death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has left a significant void in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the NDA coalition. Popularly known as Dada, Ajit Pawar was widely regarded as the political heir of Sharad Pawar and one of the most influential leaders in Maharashtra politics.
His sudden demise has thrown the NCP into a dilemma over leadership succession. Senior NCP minister Narhari Zirwal has already demanded the elevation of Sunetra Pawar, the wife of the late leader. Zirwal also claimed that Ajit Pawar was spearheading talks for a possible merger between the two NCP factions.
These developments raise major questions about the future direction of the party. We spoke to our Maharashtra correspondent, Sudhir Suryawanshi, who provided an analysis of what might happen next.