Mumbai: Two months after the tragic death of then deputy chief minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in Baramati, the debate has resurfaced within the party now headed by Sunetra Pawar over a merger with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
On Sunday, two prominent NCP leaders spoke out in support of a merger, contrary to the measured silence of top NCP leaders immediately after Ajit Pawar’s demise, when the NCP (SP) leadership claimed a merger was in the works before he died.
“If both the parties are to come together and the NCP is to grow under the leadership of deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar, the time has not passed yet,” said Sunil Shelke, NCP MLA from Maval, who is considered an Ajit Pawar loyalist.
Shelke was supported by another Ajit Pawar loyalist and deputy speaker of the legislative assembly, Anna Bansode.
“Leaders at the state level and district levels think that if two parties unite under leadership of Sunetravahini, it will be good for all,” said Bansode, NCP MLA from Pimpri.
Earlier, on Friday, photos of both Ajit and Suntera Pawar were missing from the banner of a public meeting in Raigad district chaired by state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare, intensifying speculation over a tussle for control over the party.
On record, Tatkare reposed faith in Sunetra Pawar’s leadership, and said though there was no discussion within the NCP on a merger, a final call on the matter would be taken by her.
“After the death of Ajit Pawar, Sunetra Pawar has been working as our party chief. She is managing the affairs of the party with patience. This is a matter of pride for us. If discussions regarding merger are going on, the final decision will be taken by her,” Tatkare told reporters.
Last week, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar had alleged that a group of NCP leaders had written to the Election Commission after Ajit Pawar’s death, claiming the party constitution was amended to give sweeping powers to the working president. After learning about the letter, Sunetra Pawar had asked the poll body to disregard any such correspondence, Rohit Pawar alleged.
The allegations fuelled speculation about an internal power tussle within the NCP and questions over the roles of state unit president Tatkare and national working president Praful Patel. Both leaders had refuted claims of an impending merger with the NCP (SP) after Ajit Pawar’s death.
The absence of Ajit and Sunetra Pawar’s photos from the Raigad meeting chaired by Tatkare evoked sharp reactions. Party MLC Amol Mitkari said the removal of photographs of leaders who enjoy the trust of party workers would never be tolerated.
“No one should attempt to sideline the party’s guiding figure and project themselves as the supreme leader. Maharashtra will not tolerate this,” Mitkari said in a post on social media platform X.
NCP (SP) leaders alleged that Tatkare was playing against the interests of the NCP. While the NCP state chief did not respond to calls and messages from HT, his daughter and NCP minister Aditi Tatkare tendered an apology on social media for the missing photos.
The public meeting in Raigad was organised at the gram panchayat level and local leaders had left out the photos by mistake, she said. “Whether it is Ajit Pawar or Sunetra Pawar, they have a place in our hearts. The loyalty of all our workers should not be judged merely by photographs displayed on a banner,” she said in a post on X.
NCP (SP) convenes statewide review meeting
The NCP (SP) will hold a felicitation programme in Mumbai on March 30 for newly elected representatives of local bodies. This will be followed by a three-day state-level review meeting, where district-wise organisational issues are likely to be discussed, party insiders said.
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar is likely to start touring Maharashtra soon after a hiatus due to health reasons, NCP (SP) spokesperson Sunil Mane said.
“A few of us met Sharad Pawar recently. At that time, he indicated that he would start his tours and participate in party-related work again in a few weeks,” Mane said.
When asked about a possible merger with the NCP, he said there had been no discussion on the issue for more than a month.
