Supriya Sule, Praful Patel reportedly held 35-minute meeting in Delhi amid NCP merger talk

Talk of a merger of the two Nationalist Congress Party factions, the Sharadchandra Pawar party and the Ajit Pawar group, is currently intense in Maharashtra politics. Sources say a significant development took place at the Parliament complex in Delhi on Friday, November 13, 2026.

It is said that Supriya Sule, MP and leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), and Praful Patel, a senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, held a confidential meeting in Delhi on Friday. According to sources, the two leaders spoke for about 35 minutes at the Parliament complex.

Sources also indicate that after this meeting, Patel held an important meeting of about 45 minutes with Sunil Tatkare, state president of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The back-to-back meetings have set off speculation in political circles. The developments are also being described as "lunch diplomacy".

A few days ago, Sharad Pawar, president of the NCP Sharad Pawar group, was admitted to hospital because of ill health. Patel met him during that time. After that meeting, talk of the two NCP parties coming together had picked up again. Tatkare later made a significant statement on the merger.

No official talks are under way at present, but the latest developments have revived discussion in political circles.

The leaders have gathered in Delhi for the Parliament session or other work. All of Maharashtra is watching whether they are working out future political equations. No official reaction has come so far from leaders on either side about what was discussed in the 35-minute meeting. It will be important to see what effect this has on politics in the coming days.

Meanwhile, political circles have reacted in different ways to the talk of the two NCP parties coming together. One view is that if the two parties join hands, it will have a major impact on the Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi equations. The opposition is also watching closely. There is also loose speculation over whether these leaders are drawing up a new strategy.