Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the process to merge the two factions of the party, which was expected to take place on February 12, has been put on hold following the death of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. He indicated that leaders from the Ajit Pawar-led faction now appear reluctant to proceed with the merger, despite willingness on his side.
Addressing a press conference—his first since Ajit Pawar’s death amid fast-moving political developments—Sharad Pawar said merger discussions that had been underway for nearly four months have been disrupted, leaving uncertainty over the party’s future course.
“Unfortunately, Ajit Pawar’s plane crash has halted the merger talks,” he said, adding that there had been a shared intent for unity. “Our desire is also that the two sides should come together.”
His remarks come against the backdrop of speculation over the swift move by Sunetra Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s widow, to take oath as deputy chief minister. Leaders from the Ajit Pawar camp privately suggest the decision was driven by pressure from the other faction to finalise the merger, as well as concerns that the party could lose direction in the absence of a strong leadership centre.
Sharad Pawar appeared to acknowledge these anxieties while commenting on recent developments. “There may be a feeling that someone has to take responsibility of the NCP, and possibly for this reason the latest development, including the oath-taking ceremony, may be taking place,” he said. Sunetra Pawar is scheduled to take oath at 5 pm on Saturday.
The NCP founder said Ajit Pawar had proposed February 12 as a tentative date for the merger and had played a key role in advancing the talks. “Ajit Pawar was an effective leader,” he said, underscoring his importance in keeping the dialogue moving.
Sharad Pawar also clarified that he was not directly involved in the negotiations. “While I was not part of the merger talks, discussions were taking place between Jayant Patil from my party and Ajit Pawar from the NCP,” he said.
When asked whether Sunetra Pawar’s oath-taking reflected undue haste, Sharad Pawar said he could not comment on that perception. “I don’t know if there’s haste,” he said, adding that the demand for the ceremony had “possibly come from within their party.”
