Rohit Pawar says no talk of NCP merger in party, calls reports speculation

NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar said on Monday that the speculation over a merger of the two NCP factions has no substance. According to him, no such discussion is taking place within his party.

Rohit Pawar met party president Sharad Pawar, his grandfather's brother, at his residence in Mumbai. Speaking to the media afterwards, he said neither Sharad Pawar nor the party's working president Supriya Sule has ever spoken of an NCP merger or an understanding with the BJP. He alleged that these reports have been spread to build a political narrative.

"If talks on a merger were going on, Supriya didi or Pawar saheb would certainly have spoken to me. There has been no discussion on a merger in our party. This talk is only in Ajit dada's party and in the media," Rohit Pawar said.

Talk of a merger had intensified last week, when several leaders of the NCP led by Sunetra Pawar went to meet Sharad Pawar. They included Praful Patel and Parth Pawar. Sharad Pawar had recently been admitted to hospital with a chest infection.

A viral video also surfaced in which Sharad Pawar and Patel were seen speaking of a possible meeting after November 10. NCP state president Sunil Tatkare also claimed that had Ajit Pawar been alive, the two factions would have merged as early as February this year.

Following these developments, Rohit Pawar, the Karjat Jamkhed MLA, said the purpose of the speculation is to create a particular political narrative. He also said he remains one of the most vocal critics of the BJP-led government in Maharashtra.

Earlier, on November 8, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had also said that the NCP (SP) would not join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Raut said the NCP (SP) would not become part of the ruling alliance. His statement came when several leaders of the NCP led by Sunetra Pawar had met Sharad Pawar in recent days and there was speculation that the two factions would reunite.