There was an uproar over the merger of the parties of late Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar, two NCP leaders came out in support.

New Delhi. The then Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash in Baramati two months ago. After his death, two NCP leaders have supported the merger of the party. The party is now led by Sunetra Pawar and will merge with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP). Soon after Ajit Pawar’s death on January 28, senior NCP (SP) leaders had claimed that the merger process was underway even before the death of the senior leader. At that time, NCP leaders had rejected this claim and said that no such decision had been taken. NCP MLA from Maval Sunil Shelke said that if both the parties have to come together and the NCP has to move forward under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, then it is not too late.

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Shelke, who was considered a staunch loyalist of Ajit Pawar, was supported by Assembly Deputy Speaker Anna Bansode. Bansode, NCP MLA from Pimpri, said state and district level leaders believe that if both the parties unite under the leadership of Sunetra-Vahini, it will be good for everyone. These comments of these two NCP leaders on Sunday came amid the ongoing controversy over the disappearance of photographs of Ajit Pawar and his wife and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar from the banner of a party program in Raigad district. State NCP President Sunil Tatkare also participated in this program. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who had raised the issue of missing photographs, had recently alleged that Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel were trying to snatch control of the NCP from his aunt Sunetra Pawar. NCP leaders had dismissed this claim as crocodile tears and advised Rohit Pawar to focus on his party.