What next for Sharad Pawar after Ajit wins NCP battle
What's the story
Ajit Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has emerged victorious in the Maharashtra assembly elections, winning 41 of the 59 contested seats.
The win has settled debates over which NCP faction is more electorally powerful after they split in July 2023.
Notably, Ajit's NCP won in 29 of the 36 constituencies where it faced direct competition from his uncle Sharad Pawar's faction.
Baramati victory
Ajit Pawar retains stronghold, defeats nephew
Ajit managed to retain his bastion in Baramati, defeating his nephew Yugendra, whom Sharad fielded.
This victory was especially important for Ajit, as his wife, Sunetra, had lost a Lok Sabha seat to his cousin, Supriya Sule.
The NCP had split when Ajit joined the ruling Mahayuti government with 40 MLAs, bagging the deputy CM post and eight leaders in the ministerial council.
Official recognition
Election Commission recognizes Ajit's faction as official NCP
After the party split, Sharad was left with around 15 MLAs.
The Election Commission of India and Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar acknowledged Ajit's faction as the official NCP, awarding them the party's name and election symbol.
In the Lok Sabha elections, both factions contested only two seats—Baramati and Shirur—with the Sharad-led party winning both.
As a result, the state assembly elections, in which the NCP factions contested 40 seats, were viewed as a true test of their strength.
Campaign challenges
Sharad Pawar's campaign efforts fall short
For Sharad, these elections were more than simply another political struggle; they were a referendum on his decades-long political career.
Pawar has played a key role in molding Maharashtra politics for the past five decades, influencing administrations from Delhi to Mumbai.
However, at this juncture in his career, the NCP's poor performance poses a severe threat to his political standing and legacy.
Election aftermath
Ajit Pawar's success and future reconciliation prospects
The veteran politician had hoped to ride on Maha Vikas Aghadi's Lok Sabha success but was hindered by caste dynamics and lack of mass appeal among second-rank leaders.
In recent statements, Pawar had hinted at retirement, considering his age.
"I have served as Chief Minister four times...I chose not to contest the general elections last time and became a Rajya Sabha MP. My term ends in a year and..half, and I'm considering stepping away from parliamentary politics," he said recently.