NCP denies internal rift after senior leaders meet Amit Shah in Delhi

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday dismissed speculation about internal differences following a meeting between six of its senior leaders and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, asserting that the interaction had been arranged in advance and that the party remained united under Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar's leadership.

The clarification came after senior NCP leaders Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Dilip Walse Patil, Hassan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde met Shah in the national capital.

The meeting triggered speculation about possible differences within the party and renewed discussions about a potential merger of the two NCP factions following the death of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in January.

NCP national chief spokesperson Umesh Patil rejected reports suggesting that Sunetra Pawar and her son, Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar, had been deliberately excluded from the discussions. He described such claims as incorrect, baseless and misleading.

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗡𝗖𝗣

Patil said Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar had already met Shah to discuss various issues confronting the party following Ajit Pawar's death.

During that interaction, Sunetra Pawar had informed the Union Home Minister that a delegation of senior party leaders would seek a separate meeting with him and had requested an appointment.

According to Patil, Monday's meeting was held in continuation of those discussions, with senior leaders raising organisational matters and issues concerning Maharashtra.

He said the delegation included experienced leaders familiar with important decisions taken during Ajit Pawar's tenure and the party's responsibilities within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

The leaders also raised matters concerning their respective constituencies and held informal discussions with representatives of other Mahayuti constituents.

𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮, 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱, 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀

The absence of Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar from the delegation prompted questions about the party's internal leadership equations.

Reports suggested that sections of the NCP leadership were dissatisfied with organisational decision-making and were seeking greater coordination within the party.

However, Patil maintained that attempts were being made to give an unnecessary political interpretation to a routine meeting between alliance partners.

He rejected suggestions that the interaction reflected a lack of coordination or differences between the party's senior leadership and the Pawar family.

The spokesperson asserted that the NCP remained an important constituent of the Mahayuti alliance and continued to function under Sunetra Pawar's leadership.

He also urged the media to verify information before reporting on the party's internal affairs and cautioned against presenting speculation as established fact.

𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀

The Delhi meeting also revived speculation about efforts to reunite the NCP factions associated with Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar.

According to political sources, the BJP leadership has been exploring ways to strengthen the National Democratic Alliance in Maharashtra, including through improved coordination among its existing allies.

Some reports suggested that a possible reunification of the two NCP factions had figured in discussions surrounding the meeting. However, no agreement has been announced, and the party's official statement did not confirm any merger proposal.

The speculation came a day after Sharad Pawar participated in an Opposition demonstration in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

The two NCP factions currently occupy different positions in Maharashtra's political landscape, with the Sunetra Pawar-led group aligned with the BJP-led Mahayuti government and the Sharad Pawar faction associated with the Opposition.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗷𝗶𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿'𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵

Ajit Pawar's death in January created a major leadership transition within the NCP, with his wife Sunetra Pawar subsequently assuming charge of the party.

Questions concerning organisational appointments and decision-making have periodically surfaced since the transition.

In July, NCP national secretary Sachchidanand Singh challenged the process through which Sunetra Pawar was elected party president and called for fresh organisational elections.

The latest controversy has brought those leadership questions back into focus, although the party maintains that its organisational structure remains intact.

For now, the NCP has sought to draw a distinction between discussions involving senior alliance leaders and claims of internal dissent, insisting that Monday's meeting with Shah should not be interpreted as evidence of a split within the party.