India, Jan. 29 -- The shocking death of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday is likely to trigger a churn in Maharashtra, which has witnessed one political upheaval after another over the last six years -- first with the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress coming together and then the splits within the regional behemoths Sena and NCP, and finally the coming together of Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Pawar headed the NCP, which has 41 lawmakers and is a key constituent of the ruling Mahayuti. The party has a strong presence in western and northern Maharashtra. Pawar was also a powerful figure in the cooperative sector and a prominent leader from the Maratha community, which do...