No proposal of NCP-NCP(SP) merger but will consult BJP in case idea is floated: Ajit Pawar's aide Sunil Tatkare

Mumbai: There is no proposal of merger of NCP and NCP (SP), said close Ajit Pawar aide and NCP’s Maharashtra unit President Sunil Tatkare. However, he made it clear that if any, it would be done after consultation with the BJP, which leads the Maha Yuti-NDA alliance.

The NCP split in June-July 2023, with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar commanding the real NCP while his uncle Sharad Pawar now heads the NCP (SP), of which his daughter Supriya Sule is the Working President.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, NCP (SP) had the best strike rate in the state, however, in the subsequent Vidhan Sabha polls, it fared badly.

Over the past few months a section of NCP (SP) leaders and MLAs have called for the merger or alliance with the two parties. However, the senior Pawar has ruled it out that he would not ally with anyone who does not adhere to the Phule-Shahu-Ambedkar ideology.

“There is no talk of any merger at present. But if any such decision has to be taken, it has to be done after consultations with the senior BJP leadership…BJP has accepted us thoughtfully, and any major step like a merger cannot be unilateral,” said Tatkare, the Lok Sabha MP from Raigad and a former minister.