Maharashtra after Ajit Pawar: Will the two NCPs unite? with P. Sainath
Fri Feb 06 2026
On January 28, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) National President Ajit Pawar died in a tragic air crash, leaving behind state politics in flux. Within a week, his wife was hurriedly sworn in as the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of the country’s richest state. There has also been one-upmanship between the two NCPs for control of the party, amid speculation about the ‘invisible hand’ of the BJP, sparking a debate on whether the two NCPs will reunite, and what the future has in store.In this InFocus episode, we speak with veteran journalist and founding editor of the People's Archive of Rural India (PARI), P Sainath.
Host: Vinaya Deshpande Pandit
Produced and edited by Jude Weston
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On January 28, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) National President Ajit Pawar died in a tragic air crash, leaving behind state politics in flux. Within a week, his wife was hurriedly sworn in as the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of the country’s richest state. There has also been one-upmanship between the two NCPs for control of the party, amid speculation about the ‘invisible hand’ of the BJP, sparking a debate on whether the two NCPs will reunite, and what the future has in store.In this InFocus episode, we speak with veteran journalist and founding editor of the People's Archive of Rural India (PARI), P Sainath. Host: Vinaya Deshpande Pandit Produced and edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices