Pawar Legacy Hangs in Balance as Maharashtra Politics Enters New Era
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Pune: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), founded by 85-year-old Sharad Pawar in 1999, is on the cusp of a significant transformation. The party, which split into two factions in 2023, is inching closer to a merger that could bring an end to one of India's longest and most illustrious political careers. The merger talks have been fueled by Pawar's retreat from active politics in recent months. His absence from the campaign trail in January's municipal elections, where the party performed poorly, has sparked speculation about his future. While his daughter Supriya Sule has downplayed the rumors, saying there has been no decision on Pawar's exit, sources close to the family suggest that the octogenarian may not seek another term after his Rajya Sabha tenure ends on April 2. The merger, if it happens, will have significant implications for the INDIA bloc of opposition parties, which the NCP is part of. Most leaders believe that the merged NCP will continue to be part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the state and, therefore, also part of the NDA at the Centre. However, leaders like Jitendra Awhad, who have built their politics around an uncompromising anti-BJP stance, are wary of a reunion, fearing it will blur ideological lines and weaken their credibility with core supporters. The two factions have been experimenting with joint panels in select municipal councils since December 2025, and the collaboration appears to be deepening. While both camps have publicly maintained that these arrangements are driven by "local-level compulsions," privately, leaders from both sides concede that the coordination is part of a larger political recalibration underway in the Pawar family and the party. A senior NCP leader told HT that a merger was "99% certain," adding that the residual uncertainty stemmed from resistance among certain party leaders worried about their own political future. However, electoral realities have not been kind to either faction since the 2023 split, and the lack of coordinated campaigning in the municipal elections has fueled speculation about the party's future. The roles of Sule and Ajit Pawar, Pawar's nephew and deputy chief minister, have become more sharply defined. Sule has focused on national-level politics, parliamentary interventions, and Opposition coordination in Delhi, while Ajit Pawar has consolidated his hold over state administration. A merger would formalize what already exists in practice, say his aides, and increase his bargaining power within the Mahayuti alliance. For Sharad Pawar, the merger may be less about power and more about closure. Leaders close to him say that once he steps away from parliamentary politics, resistance within his faction could soften, allowing the reunion to proceed without his personal involvement in day-to-day politics. The Pawar dynasty has seen internal shifts before, and whether the current moment marks the beginning of Sharad Pawar's political winter or it is simply another phase of strategic repositioning remains to be seen.
