Talks pushed to back burner: What will happen to NCP–NCP (SP) merger?

Mumbai: Amid fast-changing political developments in Maharashtra involving the NCP and NCP (SP) and also the Pawar family, talks on the much-anticipated merger of the two factions appear to have been pushed to the back burner following the untimely demise of NCP president and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

Though both sides had tentatively agreed on February 12, 2026, as the date for announcing the merger, recent statements by NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar indicate that the process has, for now, lost momentum.

The NCP leadership, meanwhile, has largely maintained silence on the issue.

Speaking to reporters in Baramati, Sharad Pawar took an indirect swipe at NCP working president Praful Patel and state unit president Sunil Tatkare, suggesting that decisions were being taken in Mumbai without broader consultation.

He also said he had no information about reports claiming that Sunetra Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s wife, was being made the deputy chief minister.

“I have no information about it… we came to know through news reports. Her party must have decided. What I saw in the newspapers today....some names — Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare — who have taken the initiative to make some decisions,” Pawar said.

Sunetra Pawar arrived in Mumbai in the early hours of Saturday, accompanied by her younger son Jay.

Later in the day, her elder son Parth Pawar visited Sharad Pawar’s bungalow, though details of the meeting were not known.

NCP (SP) working president and Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, who represents Baramati, refrained from commenting on the rapid developments.

She later met Ajit Pawar’s mother and her aunt, Ashatai Pawar.

Dismissing speculation of a family rift, Sharad Pawar said there were no internal issues. “If there is a problem in the family, the family stands together. There are no issues in the family. All these discussions are not taking place here; they are happening in Mumbai...What I saw in the newspaper today were some names…Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare who have taken the initiative to make some decisions,” he said, in remarks seen as directed at the NCP leadership.

Pawar, however, confirmed that merger talks between the two factions were underway and that February 12 had been fixed as a tentative date for the announcement.

“Ajit Pawar was in talks with former NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil and state unit president Shashikant Shinde,” he said.

“For the last four months, Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil discussed the merger. The date had been fixed, but unfortunately Ajit left us before that. Our desire is also that the two sides should come together,” Pawar added.

Echoing this, Jayant Patil said Ajit Pawar had made repeated efforts to reunite the party. “He visited my house several times and held discussions over dinner. He said he wanted to reunite with his uncle by putting the past behind him,” Patil said in Islampur.

Patil added that on January 16, the two sides had decided to jointly contest the upcoming zilla parishad elections and that Ajit Pawar had informed senior NCP leaders, including Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and Chhagan Bhujbal, about the merger plan.

For the BJP, the NCP, post June-July 2023 split, which was spearheaded by Sharad Pawar, is a political advantage. In this scenario, the BJP will have a upperhand over the NCP because of the absence of Ajit Pawar. On the other hand, in case of a merger, Sharad Pawar will call the shots and not the Patel-Tatkare duo, as it is now.

Besides, for a merger, the big issue before the NCP as well as the BJP, which leads Maha Yuti, is how to accommodate Supriya Sule. In fact, when Ajit Pawar started talks with the NCP ((SP), he had a larger plan in mind, which others in the NCP were not aware of.

On the other hand, MNS president Raj Thackeray had added a new dimension to NCP's succession plan post the demise of Ajit Pawar.

“Maharashtra's politics has undergone a complete upheaval in the recent past; honestly, one doesn't even feel like commenting on it. But still, one will have to speak on the events unfolding throughout the day-to-day. A party like the Nationalist Congress Party, which is truly rooted in Marathi soil, and its working president should be a proper Marathi person, a Patil perhaps, but not a Patel!"

Raj posted on social media platforms. Raj has left it to people to interpret the statement. It may be mentioned, the NCP working president is Praful Patel.

Besides, a larger number of NCP leaders including MLAs and MLCs want Sunetra Pawar to shoulder the responsibilities of NCP national president.