Mumbai: In the politics of Maharashtra, the stir has intensified regarding the merger of the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Sunetra Pawar has given her reaction on this issue for the first time. He avoided saying anything directly on the merger speculations and said, 'You will know as time comes.' After his statement, discussions about the reunification of both the factions in Maharashtra politics have intensified. However, Sunetra Pawar has neither confirmed nor denied the merger.
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What did Sunetra Pawar say?
During the press conference held in Pune on Wednesday, Sunetra Pawar was asked a question about the possible merger of the two factions of NCP. On this she said that the topic of today's press conference is different and she understands that the journalists are curious about another issue. He said that you will come to know as time comes. This answer of Sunetra Pawar is being considered very important politically, because for the last few days, a series of meetings have been going on between the leaders of both the groups. However, no final picture regarding the merger is clear from his statement.
Efforts intensified to unite both factions of NCP
In fact, efforts have been going on for a long time to unite the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar in Maharashtra. After the death of Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on 28 January 2026, his wife Sunetra Pawar took charge of the party. She is also the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The discussion about the merger of the two factions intensified when Ajit Pawar's son Parth Pawar repeatedly met Sharad Pawar. Meetings of many senior NCP (SP) leaders were also held at Silver Oak, the residence of Sharad Pawar in Mumbai. These included leaders like Jayant Patil, Amol Kolhe, Shashikant Shinde, Anil Deshmukh and Jitendra Awhad. However, these meetings have not been considered as formal merger talks. Some leaders had said that it was related to knowing the well being of Sharad Pawar.
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Sunil Tatkare's statement also increased the discussion
NCP state president Sunil Tatkare had also given an important statement regarding the merger of the two factions. He had claimed that Ajit Pawar had prepared the formula to unite the two factions and the date of merger was fixed for February 12, 2026. According to Tatkare, if Ajit Pawar had been alive, both the factions would have merged. However, he later clarified that the final decision on the merger has to be taken by Sunetra Pawar and Sharad Pawar only.
Devendra Fadnavis also gave a big statement
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also given his reaction on the speculations about the merger of the two factions of NCP. He had said that the decision to unite the two groups has to be taken by Sharad Pawar and Sunetra Pawar only. Fadnavis had also said that if any decision is taken regarding the merger, then the government will also have to inform about it. He clarified that till now he has not received any official information in this regard. Even if the two groups merge, there will still be many challenges. It will not be easy to agree on who will be the leader, more control over the organization, all these things. At present, Sunetra Pawar's statement has increased the suspense regarding the possibilities of merger. Now all eyes are on the next step of Sharad Pawar and Sunetra Pawar.