Mumbai: The internal process to reunite the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has come to a halt after the untimely demise of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Senior NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil confirmed that merger discussions, which were near finalisation, are now on hold due to this unexpected development.
Jayant Patil told reporters that secret high-level meetings between the two factions had been underway for the past four months. He revealed that Ajit Pawar himself was the primary architect of the reunification plan, driven by a desire to see the party united once again while Sharad Pawar was in good health.
“Ajit Dada visited my residence multiple times for these discussions,” said Patil. He further added that “Ajit Dada was insistent that the two sides must work together. We had even reached a consensus on the road map for the merger. In fact, a formal announcement was scheduled to be made on February 12, following the Zilla Parishad elections.”
Insiders from both NCP and NCP(SP) suggest that the merger plan involved a significant power-sharing arrangement. Under the proposed deal, Sharad Pawar was reportedly willing to hand over full operational control and the post of National President of the unified NCP to Ajit Pawar.
In exchange, key ministerial berths in the state Cabinet were to be allocated to leaders from the Sharad Pawar camp, including Jayant Patil, Rohit Pawar, and Shashikant Shinde.
The negotiations were so advanced that a joint meeting had reportedly taken place as recently as January 17 at Sharad Pawar’s Govindbagh residence in Baramati.
The momentum for reunification was shattered on January 28, 2026, when the Learjet 45 carrying Ajit Pawar crashed in Baramati during a landing attempt in poor visibility. The accident claimed the lives of the Deputy CM and four others.
“It is a massive shock. To have everything decided and then lose Dada in such an accident is beyond comprehension,” Patil said.
He further noted that without Ajit Pawar’s leadership and his unique ability to command the confidence of his MLAs, the process has hit a “dead end.”
While the Sharad Pawar faction remains open to the legacy of Ajit Pawar’s “last wish,” the political landscape has shifted rapidly.
Shortly after the tragedy, Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government.
NCP’s Sunil Tatkare has since reaffirmed the party’s commitment to the Mahayuti alliance, distancing the current leadership from the merger talk.
“We are part of the NDA and will remain so. Any talk of a merger is not proper at a time when Ajit Dada is no longer with us,” he stated.
With the primary negotiator gone and the legislative wing of the Ajit Pawar faction now looking towards Sunetra Pawar’s leadership, Jayant Patil concluded that the window for a formal merger has effectively closed for the foreseeable future.
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Photo: IANS
–IANS
