Tatkare meets Fadnavis at Varsha amid talk of NCP factions merging

Amid talk of a possible merger of the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party, the party's state president and MP Sunil Tatkare met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday. The meeting took place at around 12.30 pm at the Chief Minister's official residence, Varsha. It has intensified discussion in political circles in Maharashtra.

According to sources, it is being described as a courtesy call on the occasion of Diwali. However, as talks on a possible merger of the two factions have been going on for some time, the meeting has acquired political significance.

A day before meeting Fadnavis, Tatkare had spoken to Sunetra Pawar for about an hour and a half. Contacts between leaders of the two NCP factions have increased, and speculation about the possibility of a merger has begun afresh.

Fadnavis had earlier responded to the merger talk. He had said the two factions were separate political parties and free to take their own decisions. He had also said that if a merger were decided upon, the alliance would have to be taken into confidence as the NDA's main constituent. Fadnavis had made it clear that no formal talks had been held with him on the subject so far.

Meanwhile, NCP leader Praful Patel recently met Sharad Pawar, which lent further weight to the merger talk. Tatkare had also claimed that, had Ajit Pawar been alive, the two factions would have merged in February this year. He had said talks on this were complete and a framework had also been prepared.

Rohit Pawar, an MLA from the Sharad Pawar faction, had questioned these claims by Tatkare. He had asked why the leaders who are speaking of a merger today were against it earlier.

After the latest meeting between Tatkare and Fadnavis, discussion on the future of the two factions and the political relations between them has once again picked up. While sources describe it as a meeting to convey Diwali greetings, it is being viewed differently because of the ongoing talks on a merger.