Ajit Pawar's Death Halted NCP Merger Talks: Sharad Pawar

Image Source: Internet

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar said the party's merger talks have stalled following the death of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash. The talks, which were set to conclude on February 12, had been underway for four months. Sharad Pawar indicated that leaders from Ajit Pawar's faction are no longer keen on the merger, despite his own party's willingness to unite. At a press conference, Sharad Pawar acknowledged that Ajit Pawar's sudden death had created uncertainty about the party's future direction. He expressed a shared desire for unity between the two NCP factions, which had split in July 2023 after Ajit Pawar walked away with over 40 party MLAs to join the BJP-led government. The factions had recently shown a rare coming together in local elections, but the BJP's decisive victory had not led to a lasting reunion. Sharad Pawar suggested that Sunetra Pawar's swift decision to take oath as deputy chief minister may have been driven by concerns within Ajit Pawar's faction about the party's cohesion and future without a strong leader. While Sharad Pawar distanced himself from the merger talks, he acknowledged Ajit Pawar's central role in keeping the discussions alive. The NCP founder expressed a desire for the two factions to come together, but the future of the party remains uncertain following Ajit Pawar's death.