Maharashtra politics could be heading for a big shake-up, with two important developments unfolding at the same time. On the one hand, the state will get its first woman deputy chief minister, with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) saying it will elect the late Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar as the legislative party leader. State Minister and senior party leader Chhagan Bhujbal confirmed this on Friday.

On the other hand, there is growing buzz about a possible merger of the two rival Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions — a move that could significantly alter the state’s political landscape.