Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) working president Supriya Sule on Thursday ruled out ongoing discussions over a merger between the two NCP factions, asserting that she had neither received a proposal nor been approached by anyone regarding reunification.
Sule said discussions about bringing the rival factions together had taken place when her cousin and former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was alive, but his death in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28 had fundamentally changed the situation.
Her remarks came amid renewed speculation about a possible merger following a series of meetings involving leaders of the two factions and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar.
๐๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐
Addressing questions about the possibility of reunification, Sule categorically denied that any formal proposal had been placed before her.
She maintained that there were no ongoing discussions involving her and that reports suggesting otherwise did not reflect her position. Sule acknowledged that efforts to reunite the two factions had been underway before Ajit Pawar's death. She referred to a meeting held at Govindbaug on January 17, saying the discussions at that time had been publicly known.
However, she made it clear that the circumstances had changed following Ajit Pawar's sudden demise and that, as far as she was concerned, the matter had ended.
๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
The speculation intensified after six senior NCP leaders met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on November 1. Reports suggested that some leaders had expressed support for a possible reunification of the two factions, prompting discussions about the future political alignment of the Pawar-led parties.
Further speculation followed meetings between Sharad Pawar and several leaders associated with the rival faction. Among those who visited the veteran leader was his grandson Parth Pawar, son of the late Ajit Pawar.
However, Sule sought to distinguish family relationships and routine political interactions from formal negotiations over a merger. She said meetings between members of the Pawar family had continued despite political differences and should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of a proposed reunification.
๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ญ
Sule emphasised that political divisions had not disrupted personal relationships within the Pawar family. She said family members continued to meet on social occasions, including weddings and birthdays, even after the NCP split in 2023.
Referring to Parth Pawar's recent meetings with Sharad Pawar, she pointed out that the two shared a grandfather-grandson relationship. She also said Sharad Pawar maintained cordial relationships with political leaders, including those who had left his party.
According to Sule, such meetings were not unusual and should not be treated as confirmation of merger negotiations.
๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ
Sule's remarks came shortly after Maharashtra NCP president Sunil Tatkare dismissed speculation about reunification, saying he saw no substance in the reports.
Earlier, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar had also rejected claims that merger discussions were underway. Rohit said neither Sharad Pawar nor Sule had discussed any proposed merger or political alignment with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He maintained that speculation was being generated outside the NCP (SP) and that the issue had not been formally discussed within the party.
The rival NCP faction, now led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, has also refrained from confirming any merger proposal.
๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง
The NCP split in 2023 when Ajit Pawar broke away from the party led by his uncle Sharad Pawar and aligned with the BJP-led ruling coalition in Maharashtra.
The division resulted in two separate political organisations, with Sharad Pawar heading the NCP (SP) and Ajit Pawar leading the rival NCP faction until his death. The question of reunification has resurfaced periodically, particularly following changes in the leadership of the Ajit Pawar faction.
A merger could have significant implications for Maharashtra's political equations and the alignment of parties at the national level.
However, Sule's latest remarks indicate that no formal reunification process is currently underway from her side, despite continued interactions between leaders of the two factions. With senior figures from both parties publicly distancing themselves from merger speculation, the political future of the rival NCP organisations remains uncertain.