NCP core committee meets for second time in three days amid speculation over party rift

The core committee of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) met on Wednesday, the second such meeting in three days. Speculation about differences within the party has been circulating since senior party leaders met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. Neither party president and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar nor her sons were part of that meeting.

A senior NCP leader confirmed that the core committee met in the morning but declined to disclose the agenda. "There is nothing to tell the public," the leader said. According to sources, Sunetra Pawar was present at the meeting.

The latest meeting follows a series of discussions in the party. On Sunday, six senior leaders met Amit Shah in Delhi. On Monday, the core committee met in Mumbai. On Tuesday night, the party's MLAs gathered at Devgiri, Sunetra Pawar's official residence in south Mumbai.

The string of meetings has intensified talk about the party's internal functioning. There is also speculation about the future of its relations with the NCP (SP), led by Sharad Pawar. NCP leaders have dismissed reports that Sunetra Pawar and her sons are being sidelined. They have also denied speculation about a merger with the NCP (SP).

The delegation that met Amit Shah in Delhi on Sunday included Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Dilip Walse Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde. Sunetra Pawar and her sons Parth Pawar (a Rajya Sabha member) and Jay Pawar were not at the meeting. Their absence set off speculation in political circles.

The NCP later dismissed reports of internal friction. A party leader said the purpose of the talks was to improve coordination between the NCP and the other constituents of the Mahayuti alliance. Maharashtra's ruling Mahayuti comprises the BJP, the NCP and the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde.

On Tuesday, Sunetra Pawar met the party's MLAs at Devgiri. There she expressed confidence that the NCP would win more seats in the 2029 elections. About 50 MLAs attended, including ministers. Her sons Parth and Jay were also present.

Mumbai NCP president Zeeshan Siddique said later that the MLAs, ministers and office-bearers who attended had unanimously backed Sunetra Pawar's leadership. The meeting came at a time when there were reports of differences over the functioning and leadership of the party organisation.

The NCP has also dismissed reports of a merger with the NCP (SP), led by Sharad Pawar. The two factions came into being when Ajit Pawar split the NCP in July 2023 and joined the Mahayuti government led by Eknath Shinde. He was made Deputy Chief Minister at the time. After the November 2024 Assembly elections, Devendra Fadnavis became Chief Minister, and Ajit Pawar continued in the same post.

Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash in January 2026. Sunetra Pawar then took over as NCP president and became Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister. Since then, she has been trying to keep the party united amid speculation about its leadership and the direction of the organisation. Party leaders say the NCP is united under her leadership.