Over the past few days, there has been growing speculation about a possible reunion between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The buzz began after NCP president Sharad Pawar, in an interview, said it wouldn’t be surprising if both factions came together, and that Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule should sit down and take a joint decision. Until now, the BJP had largely remained silent on the matter. However, Minister Chandrakant Patil broke that silence only to downplay the possibility.
On Wednesday, Maharashtra cabinet minister and senior BJP leader Chandrakant Patil dismissed the speculation, saying the idea of a merger between the Sharad Pawar-led and Ajit Pawar-led factions has surfaced before but has never gone beyond being a mere “talking point.” Speaking to reporters, Patil emphasized that such discussions have repeatedly failed to translate into any concrete action.
“Such speculation has surfaced time and again, but nothing has ever materialized,” Patil said, referring to recent comments that sparked renewed chatter about a potential reconciliation. “It’s just political gossip. There’s no concrete movement toward a merger.”
The buzz was reignited after NCP (SP) patriarch Sharad Pawar reportedly said the decision on a possible reunion was up to his daughter and party working president Supriya Sule and nephew Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister.
Reflecting on the internal dynamics of the party prior to the 2023 split, Patil remarked that the NCP had always revolved around a core trio—Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, and Ajit Pawar. He noted that other leaders, including current NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil and MLA Rohit Pawar, were largely sidelined. “Even when the party was united, decision-making was confined to these three. The rest were spectators,” he added.
The original NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, fractured in July 2023 when Ajit Pawar, then the Leader of Opposition, broke ranks and joined the ruling Mahayuti alliance under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He took a significant number of MLAs with him, causing a major political shake-up. In the aftermath of the split, Ajit Pawar secured legal rights to the NCP name and symbol, while Sharad Pawar rebranded his faction as NCP (SP), adopting a new party emblem.
The divide was further underscored in last year’s assembly elections, where the Ajit Pawar-led NCP emerged dominant, winning 41 seats and leaving the Sharad Pawar-led faction with little ground.
As political circles continue to speculate on a possible rapprochement, Patil’s remarks suggest that any realignment within the NCP remains a distant possibility at least for now.
