NCP merger talks ended with death of Ajit Pawar, says Supriya Sule
The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) MP stated that discussions regarding a potential reunion between the two factions ceased after her brother passed away.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) MP Supriya Sule said on Saturday that discussions regarding a potential merger between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have ended. Speaking to the media in Mumbai, Sule stated that the talks reached a full stop following the death of her brother, the former national president of the rival faction, Ajit Pawar.
According to The Hindu, Sule said the merger discussions were ongoing until Ajit Pawar's death and that a date had been set. The former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister died in an aircraft accident at Baramati airport in Pune on January 28.
The news comes amid speculation of a reunion between the rival factions following meetings between senior NCP working president Praful Patel and NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Sharad Pawar. NCP MP Sunil Tatkare dismissed any political intent behind the meeting, describing it as a personal visit.
Meanwhile, current Deputy Chief Minister and NCP national president Sunetra Pawar met with Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut advised the NCP (Sharad Pawar) not to pursue a merger for ministerial posts.
Sule also addressed delimitation issues, noting that her party had previously discussed an informal proposal for a uniform 50 per cent increase in seats across all states. She stated that the party would consider such measures in the interest of the country after consulting alliance partners.