Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the decision on a possible merger between the two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions rests with Sharad Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar, adding that the government has not received any communication from them on the matter. He also said there was no clarity on whether Sharad Pawar would join the BJP-led NDA.
“The decision lies with Sharad Pawar, Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar. They are yet to notify us about it. Whether Sharad Pawar will join the NDA or not, we have not received any update from them,” Fadnavis said. Fadnavis’ remarks come amid renewed speculation over a possible merger between the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP), following a series of meetings between leaders of the two factions and the veteran politician in recent days.
On Monday, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar dismissed speculation about a merger, saying no such discussions were taking place within his party. Speaking after meeting Sharad Pawar at his residence, Rohit said neither the veteran leader nor party working president Supriya Sule had discussed a merger or an alignment with the BJP.
“If merger talks were underway, Supriya tai or Pawar Saheb would have spoken to me. There has been no discussion on merger in our party. The discussion is only in Ajit Dada’s party and in the media,” he said.
The merger buzz gained traction last week after several leaders of the Sunetra Pawar-led NCP, including Praful Patel and Parth Pawar, met Sharad Pawar, who was recently hospitalised for a chest infection. Parth met the NCP (SP) chief at his Mumbai residence, Silver Oak, on Saturday and Sunday, while Patel met him at Breach Candy Hospital.
NCP state president Sunil Tatkare had also claimed that the merger of the two factions would have taken place in February this year had Ajit Pawar been alive. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, meanwhile, said Sharad Pawar would not allow his years of political struggle to go in vain by aligning with the BJP. Asserting that there was no merger proposal on the table, Raut said Pawar’s stand on the matter should be awaited.
“Sharad Pawar will not let his years of penance go to waste by aligning with the BJP,” Raut said. The Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) are constituents of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, while the NCP is part of the BJP-led NDA at the Centre and the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra.
Raut also claimed that the NCP had become leaderless following the death of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in an aircraft crash in January this year. The party is currently led by Sunetra Pawar, who is also the state’s Deputy Chief Minister.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply