Fate of NCP Merger

March 3, 2026

Following the untimely demise of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife, Sunetra Pawar, officially assumed the role of National President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on February 26, signalling a definitive shift in the state’s political landscape, effectively dimming the prospects of a reconciliation or merger between the NCP and the Sharad Pawar-led faction.

Party seniors have hailed the appointment as the dawn of the “Sunetra Era”, sending a clear message that the party will not succumb to pressure from the Sharad Pawar camp.

It is learnt that Sunetra Pawar intends to lead on her own terms, carrying forward the political legacy and ideology of her late husband while focusing on further strengthening the party organisation in the days to come. During her maiden speech at an NCP convention in Mumbai, Sunetra Pawar struck an emotional yet resolute chord.

Standing before a massive portrait of Ajit Pawar, she vowed to leave no stone unturned in fulfilling his goals. “We will work based on the policies of Ajit Pawar, rooted in the ideologies of Rajarshi Shahu, Jyotirao Phule, and Dr B.R. Ambedkar,” she said connecting deeply with party workers while mourning the loss of the leader.

The convention was marked by an unexpectedly aggressive tone towards Sharad Pawar. Senior leaders made it clear that the bridge between the two factions has likely been burned. The NCP working president, Praful Patel, questioned the authority of the rival camp, asking, “How can they tell us how to run our party?”

Senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal criticised the haste of the Sharad Pawar group, alleging they began discussing a merger even before Ajit Pawar’s last rites were performed. “What right do they have to question Sunetra Pawar now?” he asked.

Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare revisited the 2004 Assembly elections, claiming that Ajit Pawar was deprived of the Chief Minister’s post at that time to accommodate the Congress party.

In a move to consolidate the family’s grip on the party, the NCP announced the candidacy of Parth Pawar, the elder son of Ajit and Sunetra, for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in March.