Uday Samant on NCP merger: I don't know who will merge into whom, it is their internal matter

Talk of a merger of the two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions is gaining momentum again in Maharashtra politics. The debate sharpened in political circles after Praful Patel visited Sharad Pawar at a hospital. A statement by Sunil Tatkare, state president of the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), added further fuel. Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader and minister Uday Samant has now given his response on the issue.

Samant said he sees some difference between what Tatkare said at an earlier press conference and what he said at a recent one. According to him, Tatkare had earlier said he had no information about a merger, but is now saying the merger was to have taken place on February 12. Samant said that for this reason he would not say anything more on the subject.

Speaking on the merger of the two factions, Samant said, "I am a Shiv Sainik. How can I speak on the NCP's merger? I also do not know who will merge into whom. This is an internal question of the two NCP parties." He also said that Sunil Tatkare, Praful Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and Sharad Pawar should themselves clarify their positions in the matter.

Samant was also asked about the two Shiv Sena factions coming together. MLA Chandrakant Raghuvanshi had earlier said that if Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray came together, it would be a true Diwali. Samant said this was Raghuvanshi's personal opinion and should not be taken as the official Shiv Sena stand. He added that only Eknath Shinde can speak about the Shiv Sena's position.

Thus, talk of an NCP merger is intensifying on one side, while on the other there is also talk in political circles about the two Shiv Sena factions coming together.