Ankush Kakde denies secret Praful Patel-Supriya Sule meeting in Delhi, says no merger talks in NCP (SP)

A 35-minute secret meeting is said to have taken place in Delhi yesterday between Praful Patel of the Ajitdada faction and Supriya Sule of the Sharad Pawar faction. It is being said that a merger was discussed, which has set off a stir in political circles. There is also talk of the two parties coming together by Sharad Pawar's birthday. Sharad Pawar faction leader Ankush Kakde has now reacted.

Asked about the meeting, Kakde lashed out at the media. "Were media people present at the place of that meeting? Do not tell us things on the basis of sources. No meeting took place between Supriya Sule and Praful Patel," he said.

According to Kakde, Supriya Sule has been in Delhi for two days because she had a meeting of a parliamentary committee. She had clarified this herself. Sunil Tatkare was in Delhi for a Standing Committee meeting and had also said so. Kakde said Praful Patel may have gone to Delhi for some work of his own. When they meet in Parliament, they exchange a hello, but that does not mean there was a discussion, he said.

On the merger, Kakde said, "No proposal for a merger has come to us. There has been no discussion at the senior level in our party either. Whatever is going on is going on in Ajitdada's party. Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel raised that subject and Bhujbal confirmed it. This discussion is going on in their party, there is no discussion in our party. Nothing is going on about unification or merger." He said Supriya Sule had already made this clear.

Kakde said no one speaks for his party. Decisions are taken by Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule, and whatever the two decide will be acceptable to everyone.

It is said that MLAs of the Ajitdada faction are in touch with Sharad Pawar. On this, Kakde said, "I have no information that MLAs are in touch. You will get that information only at the senior level. Shashikant Shinde, Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad will speak on this. I am a city leader, not a member of the party's core committee."

In reply to another question, Kakde said, "If an MP of the other party has said something, you should ask them. Have our leaders said so? It is not right to react to talk of ifs and buts."