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By:

Rajendra Pandharpure

15 April 2025 at 2:25:54 pm

BJP eyes chances in Western Maharashtra after the Pawars

The death of Ajit Pawar has unsettled western Maharashtra, leaving the BJP cautiously biding its time Pune: Western Maharashtra has long been Indian politics in miniature: dense with sugar cooperatives, caste arithmetic, money and muscle power. For decades it was shaped by one extended family – the Pawars - whose writ ran from district banks to dairy unions and from assembly halls to village panchayats. The sudden death of Ajit Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) strongman and...

BJP eyes chances in Western Maharashtra after the Pawars

The death of Ajit Pawar has unsettled western Maharashtra, leaving the BJP cautiously biding its time Pune: Western Maharashtra has long been Indian politics in miniature: dense with sugar cooperatives, caste arithmetic, money and muscle power. For decades it was shaped by one extended family – the Pawars - whose writ ran from district banks to dairy unions and from assembly halls to village panchayats. The sudden death of Ajit Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) strongman and Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister, has jolted this ecosystem. The aftershocks are being felt most keenly not by his rivals, but by his ally, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that has long coveted the region. Maharashtra’s politics has always been regionally segmented. The BJP is entrenched in north Maharashtra; it has broken through spectacularly in Mumbai, including wresting control of the municipal corporation; Vidarbha remains Congress-leaning while Marathwada is competitive and volatile. Family Bastion Western Maharashtra, by contrast, has remained been the Pawars’ citadel. Control over cooperatives, especially sugar, has translated into rural loyalty, financial muscle and electoral dominance. The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar, thrived on this architecture. The BJP, despite its national rise, has struggled to crack it. Rather than dislodge the system, the BJP sought to co-opt it. Disaffected satraps were inducted like Udayanraje Bhosale in Satara; the Mahadiks in Kolhapur; the Mohite-Patils in Solapur. Local strongmen such as Rahul Kul in Pune district were elevated and veterans like Harshvardhan Patil were brought in, if only briefly. The idea was to gradually bleed the undivided NCP led by patriarch Sharad Pawar. That effort has intensified as the BJP eyes an audacious goal: returning to power in Maharashtra on its own in the 2029 Assembly election. For that to happen, western Maharashtra is indispensable. It is no accident that the Modi government had created a new Union ministry of cooperation, handing it to Amit Shah. Cooperatives are the region’s political bloodstream. After the 2024 general election, Muralidhar Mohol, elected from Pune, was made minister of state in the same department. He was also informally tasked with western Maharashtra in a clear signal of the BJP’s strategic focus. Mohol’s brief was daunting: contain both Pawars. Sharad Pawar’s stature as a national deal-maker and Ajit Pawar’s grip on local machinery made them a formidable duo even when divided. Yet, the recent municipal contests in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad hinted at change. When both Pawars campaigned together, the BJP still managed to defeat them, suggesting that the old formula no longer guaranteed victory. Uncertain Times Then came the plane crash on January 28 leading to Ajit Pawar’s tragic death. His wife, Sunetra Pawar, was sworn in as deputy chief minister, an act of continuity intended to steady the ranks. While public sympathy is palpable, it has nothing to do with organisation. Sunetra Pawar will need time to command the networks her husband once ran by instinct. Her early gestures like visiting Karad to pay homage to Yashwantrao Chavan and invoking the legacy of Phule, Shahu and Ambedkar signal an attempt to anchor the party in its progressive tradition. Whether that rhetoric can substitute for Ajit Pawar’s authority is uncertain. Uncertainty abounds elsewhere too. Rumours swirl of a rapprochement or even a merger between the rival NCP factions. One scenario has Supriya Sule entering the Union cabinet. Another asks a more existential question: could Sharad Pawar, architect of Maharashtra’s secular, centrist politics, ever align formally with the BJP’s Hindutva project? His reported unease with a recent India–America trade agreement has fuelled speculation among supporters already anxious about ideological drift. Against this haze, the BJP’s restraint is striking. Rather than rushing to exploit the moment, it has preferred to wait and watch. The party knows that western Maharashtra is not won in a season. Cooperative elections, local bodies and caste coalitions move slowly. For now, the BJP is content to let the Pawars recalibrate, to allow factions to test their strength, and to intervene only when the contours are clearer. In a region where politics has long been about inheritance, Ajit Pawar’s absence has exposed how fragile even the most entrenched systems can be. The BJP senses opportunity, but is also aware of the attendant risks. Its wait-and-watch posture reflects a calculation born of experience. And in western Maharashtra, patience can be a weapon.

The Silent Killer of Reputations

It’s often said that a small lie never hurt anyone. Yet, in the rush to meet deadlines, close deals, or protect fragile egos, people sometimes slip into bending the truth. What they don't realize is that every untruth, no matter how minor it seems at the moment, leaves a crack in the foundation they're standing on. It might not show immediately. In fact, in the short run, it might even seem like a shortcut to success. But over time, these small cracks can grow wide enough to collapse even the strongest-looking structures.


When we think about building a life — whether it’s a career, a business, or even a relationship — it’s easy to underestimate the role of trust. People often focus solely on external results: the next client, the next big deal, the next promotion. But what truly holds everything together is invisible: it’s the trust people place in your word, your character, your intentions. Once that trust is broken, rebuilding it isn't just difficult — sometimes, it’s impossible. The world may forgive mistakes, but it rarely forgets broken trust.


Many believe that money can fix most problems. And while money can certainly buy comfort, opportunities, even second chances, it cannot purchase integrity. It cannot buy back the respect lost when someone realizes you haven't been truthful. Money might open doors, but integrity is what keeps you inside those rooms. At some point, every person faces a crossroad where choosing short-term gain through dishonesty feels easier. But those who choose the harder path — the path of honesty, even when it's uncomfortable — are the ones who create lasting value around their name.


The irony is that the very things we hustle so hard to achieve — success, recognition, influence — are built faster and stronger when people can trust us without a second thought. And that trust doesn’t just come from public victories; it’s born behind closed doors, in the private moments when no one’s watching and we still choose to do the right thing.


In today's hyper-connected world, where reputations are built and broken in seconds, your personal brand is your silent ambassador. It's what speaks for you in rooms you haven't even entered yet. It's the quiet voice that tells others whether they should bet on you, collaborate with you, or open new opportunities for you. And it’s shaped not by the grand things you say about yourself, but by the small actions you take when you think no one is noticing.


Choosing honesty doesn’t just protect your personal brand — it elevates it. It builds an invisible layer of credibility that makes people naturally want to associate with you. It makes others speak positively about you when you’re not in the room. It creates a gravitational pull, where opportunities find their way to you because of who you are, not just what you can deliver.


In the end, personal and professional success isn't just about how skilled you are or how much money you make. It's about how people feel about you — the emotions your name triggers. Are you the person they trust instinctively, or the one they second-guess? Every small choice adds up to answer that question.


Today, maybe it’s worth pausing and asking ourselves: are we building a brand that will stand strong for decades, or one that might crumble with the next storm? In a world where everyone is trying to be seen, the ones who are remembered are the ones who chose authenticity over shortcuts, and character over convenience.


The future belongs to those whose names carry weight not because they shouted the loudest, but because they stood the strongest. Make sure your name is one people are proud to say — not one they whisper about behind closed doors.


Lets connect and grow together:

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(The author is a personal branding expert. She has clients from 14+ countries. Views personal.)

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