NCP merger talks ended with death of Ajit Pawar, says Supriya Sule
The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP stated that discussions regarding a reunion between the two party factions stopped after her brother's passing.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule said on Saturday that discussions regarding a potential merger between the two NCP factions ended following the death of her brother, Ajit Pawar. According to The Hindu, Sule stated that the merger talks were ongoing while Ajit Pawar was alive and a date had even been set, but a "full stop" was put to the matter when he died.
Ajit Pawar, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, died on January 28 after an aircraft accident at Baramati airport in Pune. Sule told the media that she would no longer comment on the merger and has received no communication from the rival faction regarding the issue.
NCP MP Sunil Tatkare dismissed claims of merger discussions, stating there is no such discussion in his party at any level. He described a recent meeting between senior NCP working president Praful Patel and Sharad Pawar as a personal visit to enquire about the health of the 86-year-old leader.
Tatkare reaffirmed that his faction remains in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) under the leadership of NCP national president Sunetra Pawar. He also dismissed claims by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut regarding MLAs potentially switching sides, calling the statements baseless.
The speculation of a reunion had intensified following several high-profile meetings. Meanwhile, Sunetra Pawar met Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday.