Sunetra Pawar opposes merger of the two NCPs, sources claim

Talk is rife in political circles that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) are about to unite. However, different information has emerged from reliable sources. According to them, NCP national president Sunetra Pawar does not want the two parties to come together. The sources say Sunetra Pawar herself has conveyed this to the main Mahayuti leaders in the state.

According to the sources, the message from Sunetra Pawar is that if the two NCPs merge, a question over their very existence could arise in future. For that reason, she does not approve a merger of the two parties for now. It has also been said that if the other NCP has a different thinking, or joins the NDA as an independent constituent of the Mahayuti, she will not object.

Meanwhile, there is intense discussion in the state over whether the two NCPs will come together and whether Sharad Pawar's NCP will go with the NDA. Calls have reportedly been made to the party's MLAs from the office of Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar. This outreach is said to have been going on for the past two days. Its aim is to learn the MLAs' role and the current situation. Their views are mainly being sought on three points. Whether to merge or not is one, and the MLAs' stand in the possible changing political equations is also being ascertained.

Minister Chhagan Bhujbal made a major claim on the merger today. Bhujbal said Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil held a 40 to 45 minute discussion on a merger in his presence. Sunil Tatkare also confirmed the claim.

According to Bhujbal, he had undergone an operation and was unwell when Jayant Patil and Ajit Pawar came to ask after him. At that meeting, Bhujbal took the initiative himself and said Ajit Pawar was providing good leadership and everyone should come together again. Jayant Patil objected to the proposal. Patil asked that since Bhujbal's party is now in power with the NDA, whether its allies would accept such a unification. Bhujbal said then that Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar would talk and find a way. Bhujbal also said that nothing moved further after that 40-minute discussion.