By Manjunath K. Shresthi
February 03, 2026
Politics and the weather updates have always been unpredictable. As goes the adage, “a week is a long time in politics”. The western state of Maharashtra and politics in the country woke up to rude jolt on January 28 this year. The chartered flight carrying Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) Ajit ‘Dada’ Pawar and all those on board tragically died in the plane crash while landing at the Baramati airport. Late Ajit Pawar popularly known as Dada by his followers and others in the state’s politics. He served as the DCM for the longest over a period of time in his long political innings as MLA. And he was also once elected to the Lok Sabha as Member of Parliament in 1991, but vacated the seat for his uncle Sharad Pawar. The Pawar family has played an important role in the progress of their region and also the state.
Maharashtra’s politics has faced turbulence since 2019 assembly polls, when Shiv Sena (UBT) faction; Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) and the Indian National Congress party’s formed the government and ruled the state till 2022. Post Eknath Shinde’s rebellion from the mother party Shiv Sena, and forming his own Shinde Sena faction; and even Late Ajit Dada, followed in his footsteps. He too raised the banner of revolt and formed his own NCP faction. Both the breakaway factions of Shiv Sena and the NCP, were considered the real parties. Politics follows the prevailing wind, it’s full of opportunities and possibilities. The state’s politics has seen a tough contest between the Maha Yuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) factions. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Maha Yuti’s numbers witnessed a drastic fall in the total of 48 seats. The BJP saw an all India decline in the Lok Sabha polls, where the Mahagathbandhan and its allies restricted the saffron party to 240 seats. In the assembly polls held in Maharashtra the same year in 2024 end, the BJP and its allies made a comeback with the ‘Ladki Behan’ yojana. The MVA was decimated and the BJP improved its numbers in the 294 members assembly, and fell short of a few seats to form the government by itself. Dada’s faction of the NCP won 40 assembly seats and the rest was made up by Shinde Sena.
The BMC polls were announced in December 2025 after a long gap, and all the factions got into election mode. The results post January 16, 2026 to the 227 seats BMC saw the BJP and allies win. For the first time in three decades the SS (UBT) faction faced a reversal. In the Pune Municipal Council (PMC) different factions fought the elections. And in Pune, Late Ajit ‘Dada’ united with uncle Sharad Pawar, but the BJP got a massive mandate. Post the tragic air crash and the completion of final rites; Dada’s spouse Sunetra Pawar and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) was sworn in as the Deputy CM (DCM). Political observers and dedicated party workers questioned the urgency, and they could have waited to complete all rituals and she could have taken oath after the customary 14 days period?
As was being speculated will the NCP (SP) and Dada’s factions unite as one? Has the BJP taken a unilateral political decision on behalf of Dada’s NCP faction? Has political pragmatism set in and the BJP taken a decision to neutralize Eknath Shinde’s faction? Or will Dada’s NCP faction merge with the BJP? What Dada’s faction does next, will it be decided by all the members of the Pawar family? And will the voice of the party workers of the Rashtrawadi Congress party be taken into account before taking a decision ?
As the Shiv Sena (UBT) in spite of not winning the BMC polls, it still was able to get a considerable vote share of the ‘Marathi Manoos’, and has kept its political identity alive. How will the BJP handle the Shinde Sena (SS) in the days ahead will be interesting to watch. What will the old war horse Sharad Pawar do next? He’s known for his sharp political instincts, and it’s now his responsibility to keep his party’s identity, and also his nephew’s memory and his political relevance alive. What political arithmetic and calculations will Maharashtra’s politics see in the next Lok Sabha and assembly polls due in 2029?
