The NCP is likely to face a leadership crisis following Ajit Pawar's death, as there is no clear second-in-command, say political observers. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will need to ensure that the 41 MLAs aligned with Ajit Pawar do not drift back toward Sharad Pawar, political analysts say. Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra, is currently a Rajya Sabha member and has been politically active, though she lacks administrative experience. The NCP has one Lok Sabha member, Sunil Tatkare, and two Rajya Sabha MPs - Praful Patel and Sunetra Pawar. State politics was abuzz with speculation about a possible merger of NCP (SP) with the NCP under Ajit Pawar's leadership.