The tragic and untimely demise of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on Wednesday has not only left a vacuum in the BJP-led state coalition government, but also cast a shadow on the future of the NCP. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is likely to face a leadership crisis following Ajit Pawar's death, as there is no clear second-in-command, say political observers.

As the 'clock' symbol lost its undisputed leader, questions loomed over the party's survival and its future equation with founder Sharad Pawar, whose Rajya Sabha tenure ends in April this year. There has been speculation whether the NCP might reunite with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), especially as ties between the factions have softened in recent months.