Mumbai, Jan 30: The proposed merger of the two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions—one led by the late Ajit Pawar and the other by his uncle Sharad Pawar—is “very much on course”, with talks having reached an advanced stage even before the deputy chief minister’s death, sources said.
However, the reunification is expected to significantly alter Maharashtra’s political power dynamics. Leaders in the NCP (SP) camp believe that veteran leader Sharad Pawar will naturally assume a central role in guiding the unified party. At the same time, the ruling NCP faction is keen on proposing Ajit Pawar’s wife, Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar, for the post of deputy chief minister to carry forward the family’s political legacy, sources added.
Discussions on reunification had begun while Ajit Pawar was alive, and the two factions had even contested the civic elections in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad together.
The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, split vertically after Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government in July 2023 and was appointed deputy chief minister. He continued in the post even after Devendra Fadnavis took over as chief minister following the November 2024 Assembly elections.
The battle over the party name and election symbol had led to a bitter dispute, with Ajit Pawar’s faction retaining the original “NCP” name and the analogue alarm clock poll symbol. Currently, the NCP is part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, while the NCP (SP) remains a constituent of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
Ajit Pawar (66), popularly known as “Dada”, was killed along with four others when a chartered aircraft crashed near the Baramati airstrip in Pune district on Wednesday morning. His death has shocked the political fraternity, party workers and the public, and is expected to have a major impact on the state’s political landscape.
Following the recent civic polls, merger talks gained further momentum. Sources within the NCP (SP) said both sides had reached an advanced stage of negotiations prior to the plane crash, with a tentative announcement initially planned for February 8, after the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections.
“The process of bringing the family and the party back together was already underway. Ajit Dada himself had held several rounds of discussions with senior leaders to bridge differences,” the sources said.
The thaw in relations between the two factions was evident when they jointly contested the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal elections under the NCP’s clock symbol.
According to sources, the strategy was to “test the waters” during the local body elections and consolidate the vote bank of both factions before announcing a full-scale merger.
Following the sudden passing of Ajit Pawar, the NCP (SP) camp believes veteran leader Sharad Pawar will now naturally resume a “central role” in guiding the unified party, although the immediate focus remains on supporting the grieving family.
The ruling NCP is reportedly considering proposing Sunetra Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s wife, for the post of deputy chief minister to preserve the family’s political legacy. Sources in the Sharad Pawar camp, however, suggest that a merger would fundamentally change cabinet arithmetic. “If the merger happens, NCP (SP) leaders would play pivotal roles in the state’s governance and party organisation,” the source added.
The reunification is also seen as a strategic move to reclaim the “sugar bowl” of Western Maharashtra, where the BJP made significant gains in the recent civic elections. Analysts note that a united NCP would combine nine Lok Sabha MPs with a substantial bloc of 51 MLAs, potentially shifting the balance of power within either the ruling Mahayuti alliance or the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
For now, NCP (SP) leaders say their priority is the upcoming local polls on February 7, which they are contesting in coordination with the Ajit Pawar-led faction as a tribute to the late leader’s final political efforts.
Ajit Pawar had long envisioned a possible reunion of the two NCP factions, particularly with an eye on the 2029 elections and the party’s future relevance. He was confident that a merger would eventually materialise, importantly with the consent of his uncle, Sharad Pawar, sources said.
Despite being part of the ruling alliance with the BJP and Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar consistently positioned himself as a secular leader, committed to the progressive ideological legacy of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, and Dr B.R. Ambedkar. According to sources, this ideological focus remained central to his political thinking even while navigating coalition obligations.
High-level discussions on the merger and future strategy involved Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar, and Jayant Patil, focusing on broader political direction, leadership alignment, and long-term electoral planning. Secondary-level discussions on organisational and tactical issues were handled by leaders such as Shashikant Shinde, Rajesh Tope, and Amol Kolhe. (Agencies)
