The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has raised sharp questions over the future of the Nationalist Congress Party following the swearing-in of Sunetra Pawar as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister.
In an editorial published in its mouthpiece Saamana, the Thackeray faction described the NCP as a party adrift. It likened the situation to a boat caught in a storm, without a navigator, and driven by an engine controlled elsewhere.
The editorial said the appointment, which came soon after the death of Ajit Pawar, has deepened political uncertainty in the state.
‘A second shock’ after Ajit Pawar’s death
According to Saamana, Maharashtra had not yet absorbed the shock of Ajit Pawar’s demise when what it called a “second shock” followed.
It alleged that political manoeuvres by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis led to Sunetra Pawar’s oath-taking before the mourning period had ended.
“Before the ashes of Ajit Pawar’s funeral pyre could even cool, Sunetra Ajit Pawar took the oath as Deputy Chief Minister,” the editorial said.
Public reactions, it noted, were divided. Some welcomed Maharashtra’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister. Others questioned the timing and the process.
The editorial argued that the post was not earned through “individual administrative merit” and asked who had orchestrated the move.
Sharad Pawar, it said, responded with restraint.
“I have no information regarding Sunetra Pawar’s swearing-in. Her party is independent, and after Ajit Pawar, people like Patel and Tatkare are handling the reins,” he was quoted as saying.
Leadership vacuum and fears of drift
The editorial said Ajit Pawar’s death created a vacuum within the party. It cited NCP minister Hasan Mushrif’s claim that Sunetra Pawar was elevated quickly to prevent workers and MLAs from drifting away.
Even if that argument is accepted, Saamana questioned the haste.
It said holding a celebratory oath ceremony during the mourning period did not align with the “Sanatani” framework the BJP claims to uphold.
The piece also pointed to internal tensions. It spoke of a power struggle between Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, and claimed Sunetra Pawar was placed in position to prevent the party from falling fully under one camp’s control.
“The captain of the boat has gone into the open sea,” the editorial said. “The engine of this boat belongs to Fadnavis, and the ‘remote’ for that engine is also with Fadnavis.”
A test that leads to 2029
Looking ahead, Saamana framed the 2029 Assembly elections as Sunetra Pawar’s real test.
It predicted that the BJP would contest the polls on its own strength and suggested that many MLAs from the Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar factions could migrate to the BJP before then.
To avoid becoming a “ceremonial” figure, the editorial said, Sunetra Pawar would need to demonstrate leadership, public outreach, and independence — traits it associated with Ajit Pawar’s political style.
“If she chooses to work effectively rather than being a ‘silent doll’, she may become an obstacle for Patel, Tatkare, and Bhujbal,” it said.
The editorial ended on a bleak note.
“Mourning periods come and go,” it said. “Politics never stops — even if it has become truly wretched.”