Date was fixed but talks ended with Ajit Pawar's death: Supriya Sule on NCP merger

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule on Saturday said that discussions on the merger of the two NCP factions came to an end after the death of Ajit Pawar, revealing that a date for the proposed reunion had also been decided when he was alive.While addressing questions on the issue, Sule said she would no longer comment on the merger and wanted the speculation to stop."There was a discussion with my brother (Ajit Pawar) about the merger. As long as Ajit Pawar was there, talks were underway, and a date had also been decided. But after my brother passed away, a full stop was put to the matter from our side," Sule said.She further made it clear that she did not wish to entertain any more questions on the subject. "My brother is no longer with us, so what is the point of discussing the merger now? From today onwards, I will not speak about this issue. I am keeping my mouth completely shut on the matter. You can run whatever you want, but it makes no difference to us," she told the media. Sule also said she had received no communication from the Ajit Pawar-led faction regarding a possible merger. "I have not received any phone call, message, email or WhatsApp communication from their side on this issue," she said.Sule also responded to Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut's comments on the proposed reunion, saying he was a senior leader and like an elder brother who had every right to express his views. Raut recently claimed that nearly 20–22 MLAs from Sunetra Pawar-led NCP faction were considering leaving the party and keeping in touch with Pawar family patriarch Sharad Pawar. The NCP split in 2023 after Ajit Pawar broke away from his uncle Sharad Pawar and joined the BJP-led Mahayuti government in Maharashtra. Ajit Pawar subsequently led the faction that became part of the ruling alliance, while Sharad Pawar continued to head the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).The possibility of the two factions coming together had been discussed during Ajit Pawar's lifetime, with speculation suggesting that the two factions might unite soon. However, the proposed reunion remained on the back burner after his death, with differences over leadership and the future political direction of the party emerging as significant hurdles.Supriya also spoke about her relationship with senior NCP leader Praful Patel, who was once a trusted aide of her father, Sharad Pawar. She said that the relationship between the two heavyweight political families of Maharashtra goes back more than 60 years and that they continue to share cordial ties.Referring to her work with Patel on a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), she also questioned reports suggesting that there had been no interaction between them.WHY THE NCP MERGER WAS BACK IN FOCUSSpeculation about a reunion between the two NCP factions had intensified in recent weeks, against the backdrop of reported differences within the Ajit Pawar-led party and a series of meetings involving leaders from both sides.The merger speculation gathered fresh momentum after a group of senior NCP leaders, including Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and Chhagan Bhujbal, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on November 1. The meeting reportedly involved discussions on differences within the party and the possibility of a merger with the Sharad Pawar-led faction.Sunetra Pawar, who now leads the Ajit Pawar faction, subsequently held a meeting with NCP legislators at her official residence amid reports of discontent among senior leaders over organisational decisions and the growing influence of her son, Parth Pawar.The issue gained further attention after Praful Patel visited Sharad Pawar at a Mumbai hospital on November 5. Parth Pawar also met his grandfather during this period, adding to speculation about a possible reconciliation within the Pawar family.On November 11, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar was asked about the possibility of a merger at a press conference in Baramati. She neither confirmed nor denied that talks were underway, saying that people would know when the time came.Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, meanwhile, claimed that 20 to 22 MLAs from Sunetra Pawar's faction were considering leaving the party and could return to the Sharad Pawar camp or join another political outfit. He said he would not describe such a move as a merger.- Ends