Amid speculation over a possible merger between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Pune district on November 15 and 16.
On November 15, Shah will lay the foundation stone for a cooperative industrial unit in Talegaon Dabhade before visiting the Bharat Forge facility in Mundhwa. He will spend Sunday night in Pune and is expected to meet senior leaders and office-bearers of the BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena. He may also flag off the Pune Marathon.
On November 16, Shah will unveil a statue of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar at the Pune Zilla Parishad premises. NCP legislators, ministers, MPs and other party functionaries are expected to attend the event, which has been confirmed by the state publicity department.
NCP sources said the formal request for the statue’s inauguration was made by Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Sunetra Pawar. Party leaders are also expected to discuss the Mahayuti alliance and issues concerning the NDA with Shah.
The visit comes days after Sunetra Pawar and her son, NCP MP Parth Pawar, met Shah in New Delhi. Their discussions reportedly included a request to restore the finance portfolio to the NCP, as well as the possibility of a merger between the two NCP factions.
A group of NCP leaders—including Praful Patel, Maharashtra unit chief Sunil Tatkare, former Assembly Speaker Dilip Walse Patil, ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, and former minister Dhananjay Munde—also met Shah. The discussions reportedly focused on the functioning of the party and tensions between its senior and younger leaders.
MP Supriya Sule denies the rumours
Shah’s visit comes amid intense political speculation in Maharashtra. However, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) working president and Baramati MP Supriya Sule has categorically denied that merger talks are underway between the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and the ruling NCP faction led by Sunetra Pawar.
“No proposal regarding a merger has been received by us,” Sule said, adding that the issue had ended for her on the day her brother, Ajit Pawar, died. She also said that no one had discussed the matter with her.
Merger talks from earlier
Speculation intensified after NCP Maharashtra president Sunil Tatkare said that merger talks had been underway while Ajit Pawar was alive and could have materialised in February had he not died in a plane crash.
The speculation was further fuelled by a series of recent developments. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Sharad Pawar during his hospitalisation, followed by a visit from senior NCP leader Praful Patel. Parth Pawar subsequently visited Sharad Pawar’s Mumbai residence, Silver Oak, on two consecutive days.
Fadnavi’s views on the merger
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that only Sharad Pawar and Sunetra Pawar could clarify whether the two NCP factions would merge. He added that the BJP had not been informed of any such move.
Fadnavis further said that any merger would require the ruling coalition’s involvement. “If they decide to merge, they will come and tell us, because the merger cannot happen without us. Neither of them has told us anything yet,” he said.
Sunetra Pawar, when asked about the possibility of reunification during her visit to Pune on Wednesday, avoided a direct denial. “As time comes, you will all come to know about everything,” she said, further fuelling speculation.
(With inputs from IANS)
