Who Will Run the NCP? Top Contenders to Succeed Ajit Pawar

By Rootsalert News Desk – 28-01-2026

The abrupt absence of a Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister referred to as Ajit Pawar, has thrown the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) into an existential crisis. Over the years, the group was constructed completely on his personality, his six am style of administration and his iron fist on the legislators. The party is now left without a leader and the question that is posing itself is Who will lead the organisation moving forward?

The succession struggle is not just situational of titular succession but rather, a fight to the survival of the party. With the dust settling there are three camps that are forming the family, the strategists, and the mass leaders. The following is an analytical description of the players that are vying to control.

The Family: Legacy vs. Experience.
The party has the quickest solution in the person of the Pawar household as a means of maintaining the emotional unity of the party.
The Wife (Sunetra Pawar): A sitting Rajya Sabha Member is seen as the symbolic holder of the family heritage. She does not have much experience in administrative positions, but she has her strength in the affective loyalty that she enjoys among the core followers of Ajit Pawar. Opponents, such as critics, however, warn that she might not be able to cope with the unkind politics of a coalition government on a day to day basis.
Parth Pawar (The Son): The third generation Pawar has had a difficult time finding his way. He has been keeping his head very low after a high profile loss in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Although he is the bearer of the right surname, he does not have a personal system of cadres. He is considered as a long term perspective as opposed to a manager of a crisis.

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The Strategists: The Party “Friends.
In case the party concludes that experience should prevail over emotion, it may be handed over to the close allies of Ajit Paw.
Praful Patel: An old-time party member in the Delhi set up, he is the epitome of an insider. He is a former Union Minister and therefore he has the skills of negotiating alliances. The party was granted some stability by his contribution in the split in 2023. However, he is a mass leader but not a boardroom general. Although he is able to cope with organisational matters, it is unclear whether he will be able to win elections.
Sunil Tatkare: A power structure in the Konkan region and the incumbent president of the state-unit, Tatkare has the administrative prowess necessary to govern the state demonstrating competence in areas like Water Resources. He knows how the party works inside out, which is an asset; his weakness is that he has regional appeal and does not have statewide appeal, which Ajit Pawar was known to possess.

The Wildcards: Trendy and Scandalous.
Lastly, there are the outliers, the leaders with mass appeal, but facing their challenges.
Dhananjay Munde: A very close associate of Ajit Pawar who has a real attachment with the electorate. Nevertheless, Munde is embroiled in scandals, such as a resignation of the state government in early 2025. His party affiliation is that of OBC which is dominated by the Maratha identity politics, and that fact makes him even less viable to hold the top post.
Chhagan Bhujbal: The oldest OBC figure and once the Deputy Chief Minister, Bhujbal has the resume and rhetoric. However, age and a criminal record are very much against him. He will probably act as a kingmaker or senior counsel instead of being provided the chief.

The future of the NCP is also a difficult one. The party will be at risk of disintegrating without the unique charisma of Ajit Pawar. The most realistic scenario is the collective leadership model where the family is left holding the emotional leash with the veterans like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare at the helm of the machinery. However, in Maharashtra, a state that is governed by politics, this kind of stability rarely lasts long.

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