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Sunetra Pawar declined to comment directly on the possibility of an NCP merger, saying the matter would become clear with time.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar (ANI File)
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sunetra Pawar has chosen not to comment directly on the possibility of the two NCP factions coming together. Addressing the speculation on Wednesday, she said the situation would become clear with time.
Pawar was speaking at a press conference organised to announce programmes for the 191st birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda, which will be observed on November 15. When reporters were invited to ask questions, one of them raised the possibility of a merger between the rival NCP factions.
Responding to the question, Pawar said, “I know you people are more interested in the other issue (merger speculation). However, I would like to tell you that things will become clear with time.”
Her comments come days after senior NCP leaders held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. Sunetra Pawar and her son, Lok Sabha MP Parth Pawar, were not present at the meeting.
Meanwhile, some NCP leaders, including Parth Pawar, have also met NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar. However, they maintained that the meetings were only to enquire about his health and that no political matters were discussed.
NCP Merger Speculation Gains Momentum
Talk of a possible reunion between the two NCP factions has been doing the rounds for some time. The discussion gathered pace last week after senior NCP leader Sunil Tatkare said that late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had also supported the idea of bringing the two groups together.
Speaking to reporters outside his residence in Sutarwadi, Raigad, on Friday, Tatkare said discussions on the merger had taken place and that Ajit Pawar had personally briefed him about the proposed arrangement.
“Discussions on the merger of the two NCP factions had indeed taken place. Ajit Dada had briefed me, sharing details of the formula agreed upon for the reunification. Had he been alive, the merger of the two factions would have been completed on February 12,” Tatkare said.
He further claimed that the talks were disrupted following Ajit Pawar’s death in a plane crash on January 28.
Fadnavis Says Sharad And Sunetra Pawar Must Take A Call
Amid the growing speculation, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday that the decision on a possible merger rests with Sharad Pawar and Sunetra Pawar, who lead the two rival factions.
He said both leaders would have to approach the ruling alliance if they decided to reunite their parties, adding that neither had communicated any such proposal to the government so far.
“If they (Sharad Pawar and Sunetra Pawar) decide to merge (their parties), they will come and tell us, because the merger cannot happen without us. Neither of them has told us anything yet,” Fadnavis said.
Sunetra Pawar took over as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister following the death of her husband, Ajit Pawar. Her faction is part of the state’s ruling alliance, which also includes the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
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Ask News18Addressing the merger speculation, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Sunetra Pawar stated that she would not comment directly, choosing instead to say that things will become clear with time.
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Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom. She covers both national and international news. For more stories, you can …Read More
November 11, 2026, 16:18 IST
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