Amol Kolhe was to head united NCP, claims Rohit Pawar

Responding to Pawar’s remarks, Kolhe said the discussions had begun during his interaction with Ajit Pawar earlier this year. “We travelled together on the day of election of Malegaon sugar factory. And what Rohit Pawar has spoken today has been in public domain for several days now. But the man who was holding the discussion and finalised everything is no more and talking about everything that was fixed holds no meaning now,” said Kolhe.

Kolhe, a two-term Lok Sabha MP from Shirur in Pune district, is also a well-known Marathi actor who portrayed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in popular television series. Seen as a prominent OBC face of the NCP (SP), he is known for his oratory skills and clean public image.

While leaders of the NCP (SP) have repeatedly spoken about the alleged merger discussions led by late Ajit Pawar, senior leaders of the NCP including working president Praful Patel and state president Sunil Tatkare have declined to comment on the claims.