Is NCP heading for a merger? Speculation gains ground as Pawars share stage again
This comes days after Sharad Pawar, in an interview to The Indian Express, admitted that his party leaders were divided about joining hands with Ajit, his nephew and NCP chief
Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar, Devendra Fadnavis, Nitin Gadkari and Eknath Shinde shared the stage together at a Maharashtra Cooperative Bank event at Y.B. Chavan Hall in Mumbai on Monday. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
Amid speculation of a reunion that he reignited a week ago, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar shared the stage with his estranged nephew and NCP president Ajit Pawar, the Maharashtra Deputy CM, for the second time in four days at an event organised by the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank in Mumbai on Monday.
The Mumbai event comes after the two leaders were seen together at a programme organised by the Rayat Shikshan Sanstha in Satara on Friday.
Sources in the NCP claimed the rival party’s moves were primarily aimed at addressing internal dissent ahead of the local body elections. “It is important that the morale of their elected representatives as well as party workers remains high, especially with the local body polls approaching. This is a part of their strategy,” said a senior elected representative in the NCP.
Pawar first sparked the buzz in an interview to The Indian Express on May 7 by acknowledging internal differences in his party on the question of joining hands with Ajit. “There are two views in the party. One is that we reunite with Ajit, while the other says we should not go with the BJP, directly or indirectly,” he said.
That his statement came two days after the Supreme Court cleared the decks for the conduct of local body polls provided credence to the NCP’s claim that the veteran leader had engineered the speculation with the elections in mind.
Claiming that Ajit and his supporters faced a similar situation in 2014, the leader said they were given a go-ahead to hold alliance talks with the BJP. “Nothing was conveyed definitively, but it did not materialise at the last moment. Similarly, Pawar is sending a message to his leaders that they should wait and not take any steps as of now,” the NCP leader said.
According to sources, at least four of the NCP (SP)’s 10 MLAs are in favour of the reunion. Murmurs of an NCP merger first emerged after the NCP (SP), a constituent of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) with the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), managed to win only 10 of the 86 seats it contested in last year’s Assembly elections. The ruling Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, the Shiv Sena, and the NCP, returned to power emphatically, winning 235 of the state’s 288 Assembly seats. The NCP (SP)’s drubbing came just four months after it won eight of the 10 seats it contested in the Lok Sabha elections. The NCP (SP)’s and NCP vote shares in the Assembly polls stood at 11.28% and 9.1% respectively while in the Lok Sabha polls the two parties garnered 10.27% and 3.6% of the votes respectively.
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Even as NCP (SP) working president and Baramati MP Supriya Sule, who is Pawar’s daughter, said she would discuss the issue with party workers before taking any call, an NCP (SP) MLA pointed out that the reunion would not be as easy as was being perceived. “Uniting with Ajit will mean supporting the BJP at the state and national level. More than addressing dissent, it is about sending a message to the BJP that we have eight MPs and it does not have a full majority. Pawar is a key Opposition leader. Let us wait before jumping to conclusions,” the leader said on the condition of anonymity.
The reunion buzz has left other parties in the ruling alliance and the Opposition coalition wary. While Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis chose not to comment on the issue, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said the two NCP factions “were already together”. “They are not like us. Our self-respecting position is not to join forces with those who broke our party, toppled the government, misused power, and stabbed Maharashtra in the back,” Raut said.
In an apparent reference to Sule’s remarks, Raut said, “Some parties are more liberal and claim they will take a decision (on the reunion) after consulting party workers,” he said, adding that he had no complaints about Pawar.
Alok Deshpande is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized for his focused and authoritative reporting on governance, politics, and the socio-economic dynamics of Maharashtra's hinterlands. His unique academic background in Geology and early work in the water sector provides a specialized layer of Expertise to his reporting on resource and environmental issues.
Expertise
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express, Mumbai.
Core Authority: Alok provides detailed coverage of Maharashtra politics and governance, with a particular emphasis on how policies and power struggles affect the rural and semi-urban areas (the 'hinterlands').
Key Coverage Areas: His reports frequently focus on high-stakes administrative and political topics, including:
State Assembly Proceedings: In-depth reporting on the Legislative Assembly, covering ministerial statements, legislative debates, and inter-party conflict within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
Policy & Finance: Coverage of state finances, including supplementary budget demands, fiscal deficits, and major government schemes (e.g., Jal Jeevan Mission, Ladki Bahin Yojana).
Rural and Social Issues: Reports on critical health issues (e.g., child deaths in districts), human-animal conflict (leopard attacks, stray dogs), and agrarian concerns (e.g., farmer suicides).
Local and Urban Governance: Covers major announcements regarding urban development (e.g., BMC's OC amnesty scheme, pagdi system push) and local body elections, including political defections and alliance splits.
Unique Credentials & Trustworthiness
Academic Specialization: Holds a Post-graduate degree in Geology. This background gives him a foundational understanding of natural resources, which directly informs his reporting on environment, water, and infrastructure projects.
Early Professional Experience: His shift to journalism came after working with an NGO focused on the water sector. This practical experience strengthens his Expertise in critical areas like water management and rural development, as evidenced by his reporting on the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Journalism Training: An alumnus of the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, confirming his formal training and commitment to rigorous journalistic standards.
Alok Deshpande's rare combination of scientific education, non-profit sector experience, and deep political reporting makes him a highly trusted and authoritative voice on the governance and ground realities of Maharashtra.
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