Sunetra Pawar on NCP merger talk: "We will come to know in due course"

Talk of a merger of the two Nationalist parties has been doing the rounds in Maharashtra politics. Amid this came word that MLAs of Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party had sought time to meet senior leader Sharad Pawar. The possible meeting had intensified talk in the state's political circles of a merger and a fresh political upheaval. It has now emerged that Sharad Pawar will not meet anyone today.

Umesh Patil said the MLAs of his party were not going to meet Sharad Pawar. He also said no talks on a merger were under way.

Nationalist party president and state Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar spoke to the media in Baramati on the meetings, discussions and developments. She said, "I know you are curious here about some other subject, but I still want to tell you that as the time comes, we will come to know such things."

Leaders of both Nationalist factions have also been reacting to these developments.

NCP leader Amol Mitkari wrote a post on social media. According to him, respected Sunetra Bhabhi is the party's national president, and whatever decision she takes in the interest of the party will be acceptable to the ordinary workers of Ajitdada. Mitkari wrote that Bhabhi had earlier upheld, and continues to uphold, Dada's principle that "the worker matters more than the leaders". He also wrote that she is capable and strong enough to take decisions in the interest of Maharashtra as well as the party.

Anil Bhaidas Patil, an MLA of Ajit Pawar's NCP, rejected the report that MLAs were to meet Sharad Pawar about a merger. He said he could see nothing at present of the kind of merger discussion that keeps appearing in the media. According to him, if Parth Pawar met Pawar Saheb today, it was a genuine meeting to ask after his health on the occasion of Diwali. Anil Patil said Praful Bhai had also gone to ask after Pawar Saheb's health while he was in hospital, because he had worked with him for many years. He said asking after someone's health is a culture, the culture of Maharashtra. To his knowledge these meetings took place in that spirit, and he did not think any merger discussion was involved.

Anil Bhaidas Patil further said he did not see anywhere that anyone had sought time to meet Pawar Saheb on behalf of all the NCP MLAs. No one had given him any such message either. He said many MLAs and workers have worked for years under a senior leader like Pawar Saheb, who is known across the country. Now that he has returned safely from hospital after recovering, he did not think anyone would have any difficulty in going to see him. So if the occasion arose, people might go to ask after his health. For now, almost all MLAs are in their own constituencies, so nothing has been decided so far about going to meet Pawar Saheb.