Sunetra Pawar meets CM Fadnavis at Varsha amid talk of NCP merger

Deputy Chief Minister and NCP national leader Sunetra Pawar has arrived at the Varsha bungalow to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The reason for the meeting is not yet clear. However, with talk of a merger of the NCP going on in the state for the past few days, political significance is being read into the meeting.

The merger has been discussed for about 15 days. Leaders of the Ajitdada faction have spoken on it repeatedly. Notably, the faction is in power, yet its leaders are speaking on the subject, which has intensified the discussion. In the meantime, Chief Minister Fadnavis had said that no merger would take place without asking his side. This was said to hint at a merger. Now that Sunetra Pawar has gone to meet him, speculation has grown further.

All eyes are on whether the meeting will address the merger or development works. Details are expected to emerge after the meeting.

Two days earlier, Sunil Tatkare had met Chief Minister Fadnavis. He then held a press conference yesterday and spoke on the merger issue. Tatkare had said that had Ajitdada been alive, the merger would have happened on February 12, but there is now no talk of a merger. He also said, "I know what to say and where, so I will say the right things at the right time." Tatkare's response was not clear, so the merger is still being discussed.

Supriya Sule, a leader of the Sharad Pawar faction, said at a press conference today that there is no talk of a merger at present. According to her, no proposal has come from the other side and no talks have been held from her side either. Sule said she would therefore not speak on the subject any more and that, for her, the matter has ended.

Sule also said that she and Praful Patel keep attending Parliament sessions, but that does not mean the merger was discussed there. She said no meeting took place between them yesterday. Sule claims that all the reports are baseless.