BJP faces uncertainty as NCP asserts control leadership question remains unresolved

NCP SP president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday publicly expressed his displeasure over BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis questioning the proposed merger between the two NCP factions. His remarks were seen as a clear signal to party workers.

Officially, Pawar said, “I am happy that Sunetra Pawar has taken the oath of office as DyCM in the government. On the merger issue, the talks were going on between Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil. What right does Devendra Fadnavis have to question the merger when he was not involved.” He added, “At the moment, he was focusing on family ties. There have been no talks on politics.”

BJP strategists, meanwhile, acknowledged internal challenges but maintained their support for the Ajit Pawar faction. “The NCP versus NCP SP will be played out on multiple fronts. But our concern is to strongly back the NCP, which has pledged support to the NDA. We are committed to the family of Ajit Pawar and his NCP faction,” a party functionary said.

At the same time, senior leaders admitted there is no clear roadmap. “There are no final solutions as we don’t know how things will evolve ahead. From what we understand, Sunetra Pawar, along with NCP, will be able to keep the organisation intact and consolidate as it is in power,” a minister said, adding that with elections still three and a half years away, sitting MPs were unlikely to explore alternatives, including the Sharad Pawar-led NCP SP.

Rajendra Kondhare, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Maratha Mahasangh, said sections of the Maratha community were unsettled. “A sizeable Maratha community, especially those connected with institutional and cooperative networks, has always looked upon Sharad Pawar as their leader for support and guidance. It was the same base which also followed Ajit Pawar. Now, some unrest in this segment is inevitable. We will have to see how it manifests with Sunetra Pawar stepping into government,” he said.

He added, “To attain the leadership and stature like Ajit Pawar requires 20 to 25 years. His death has created a vacuum for the community.”

An NCP minister who served under Sharad Pawar noted that ideological continuity had kept the party’s support base intact despite the split. “Those who don’t subscribe to right-wing politics always found a credible alternative in NCP S. Despite the split in the party, we shared a common ideology and electoral base,” he said, adding that cadres did not distinguish between the senior and junior Pawar.

“Now with Ajit Pawar death, they naturally see in Sharad Pawar their godfather. Therefore, sooner than later, both factions will have to take some concrete decision to address the unrest within the cadre,” he said while expressing confidence that a solution would eventually emerge.

The BJP core electoral base has traditionally been among Other Backward Classes OBCs. Its 2024 Assembly victory was driven in part by OBC consolidation amid sharp polarisation over Maratha reservation demands. By bringing in leaders such as Shiv Sena Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the BJP projected strong Maratha representation within the Mahayuti alliance.

However, the party has struggled to project an in-house Maratha leader capable of matching the influence of the Pawar family. Its strategy of inducting prominent Maratha leaders from other parties, including Ashok Chavan, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Narayan Rane, did yield electoral gains.

“In a three-party coalition government with inbuilt friction BJP always played Ajit Pawar versus Eknath Shinde. It gave them an upper hand in controlling the government and politics in the state,” a political observer said. He added, “With Ajit Pawar in the government ruling combine could tackle the Maratha backlash ably. As the NCP ensured it did not get out of control.”