Tatkare said late Ajit Pawar had informed him in advance about the terms of the merger of the two NCP factions.
Mumbai: A day after NCP leader Praful Patel met party founder Sharad Pawar at a hospital in Mumbai, NCP Maharashtra president Sunil Tatkare on Friday said the merger of the two NCP factions would have been finalised by February 12 had Ajit Pawar been alive. He said the discussions had taken a back seat following Ajit Pawar’s death.
Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) state president Shashikant Shinde said Tatkare’s remarks confirmed that merger talks had taken place and that both Sharad and Ajit Pawar wanted the factions to unite to strengthen the party. Patel had said that despite their political differences, they remained emotionally connected.
There were reports of an internal rift within the Sunetra Pawar-led NCP, involving senior leaders, particularly Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel, as well as Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and her son, Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar. Amid these reports, a six-member delegation of NCP leaders — Dhananjay Munde, Sunil Tatkare, Praful Patel, Hasan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil — met Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier this week.
According to sources, the delegation reportedly raised concerns over the way the party was being managed by Sunetra Pawar and her son, Parth. Against this backdrop, Tatkare’s remarks have assumed political significance.
Tatkare said late Ajit Pawar had informed him in advance about the terms of the merger of the two NCP factions.
“If Dada (read Ajit Pawar) had been alive, the reunification of both NCP factions would have taken place before February 12... but unfortunately, Ajit Dada passed away. The issue of the merger stopped there,” he said.
Political observers said the remarks appeared to be part of a strategy by senior leaders of the NCP faction to build pressure on Sunetra and Parth by bringing up the issue of the merger of the two NCP factions.
Reacting to Tatkare’s remarks, Maharashtra NCP (SP) chief Shashikant Shinde said what Tatkare was saying about the merger was correct.
“Since the beginning, we have been saying that the merger of both factions of the NCP is on the cards... If both factions had been together, the results of Zilla Parishad, Nagar Palika, local bodies and municipal corporations in Maharashtra would have been different,” he said.
It was the first time he had shared details of the meeting. Shinde said it was the wish of Sharad Pawar and late Ajit Pawar that the two factions should merge and the party would be strengthened in the coming days. The situation in the state would have been different, he added.
Earlier, Tatkare used to say that there had been no discussion on the merger of the two NCP factions.
According to sources, top leaders of both factions are expected to meet after the Diwali festival.
Meanwhile, NCP founder Sharad Pawar has been admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital after experiencing a persistent cough. He was initially admitted to Pune’s Ruby Hall Clinic and was shifted to Mumbai following his discharge. His daughter and MP Supriya Sule shared the details.
Several political leaders and prominent personalities visited him at the hospital, including Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut and industrialist Gautam Adani. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also called to enquire about his health.
Speaking to reporters, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said Sharad Pawar’s health was good and all his parameters were normal. “There is no reason to worry. Sharad Pawar will be discharged tomorrow,” Shinde said.
