Sharad Pawar says 'outsiders' cannot know details of NCP merger talks

Uncertainty continues over whether the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will reunite in Maharashtra, and the public sparring over a possible merger shows no sign of abating.

The backdrop to the ongoing dispute is the death of senior NCP leader and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who was killed on 28 January as the business jet he was travelling in crashed near Baramati in Pune district. All five people on board died in the accident. Pawar was cremated with full state honours, and the Maharashtra government observed a period of mourning.

Speaking to the media on Monday, senior leader Sharad Pawar said those who were not involved in merger discussions could hardly be expected to have information about them. His remarks were widely seen as a response to comments made recently by Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had said if merger talks were genuinely taking place, Ajit Pawar would have informed him, given that Ajit Pawar and his faction were part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

Denying that any formal merger discussions had taken place, Ajit Pawar faction leader and NCP state president Sunil Tatkare also said Ajit Pawar had not spoken to him about any such proposal. Tatkare clarified that while there had been discussions about contesting district council elections together, this should not be interpreted as talks of a party merger.

He reiterated that his faction remains part of the NDA and added that “anyone who wishes to join the NDA is free to come with us,” declaring that, for his group, the merger issue ends there.

Without naming Fadnavis directly, Sharad Pawar underlined that the chief minister belongs to the BJP, not the NCP, and therefore could not be expected to be aware of internal discussions held within the party. Pawar had earlier stated that Ajit Pawar had expressed a desire for reunification and that discussions had taken place on the matter.

Leaders from the Sharad Pawar faction, including Jayant Patil, have continued to maintain that Ajit Pawar had conveyed his willingness for the two NCP factions to merge, and that an official announcement was expected on 12 February. However, leaders from Ajit Pawar’s group have firmly denied this, insisting that no such discussions ever took place.

The NCP split in July 2023 when Ajit Pawar broke away with a group of MLAs to join the BJP-led government in Maharashtra, triggering one of the most significant fractures in the state’s opposition politics. The Election Commission later recognised Ajit Pawar’s faction as the official NCP, deepening the rivalry with Sharad Pawar’s group and leaving the party divided organisationally and electorally.

Since then, speculation about a possible reunification has surfaced repeatedly, often fuelled by behind-the-scenes meetings and contradictory public statements.

Notably, apart from Sharad Pawar, no other member of the Pawar family has publicly commented on the issue. Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar, who has now taken over as deputy chief minister, has remained silent. Ajit Pawar’s nephew and MLA Rohit Pawar said he would speak on the matter only after the completion of the family’s mourning rituals.