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Ajit avoided commenting directly on a possible merger, saying such decisions are made by senior leaders
Both factions celebrated the party’s foundation day with separate events in Pune. (PTI file photo)
The Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has dismissed any plans to reunite with the rival NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction as it marked its 26th foundation day on Tuesday.
The statement comes amid recent speculation about a possible merger between the two groups, which split in 2023 when Ajit Pawar, nephew of NCP co-founder Sharad Pawar, joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra. Both factions celebrated the party’s foundation day with separate events in Pune.
Sunil Tatkare, Maharashtra unit NCP chief, clarified that the decision to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2023 was a collective one, not solely Ajit Pawar’s. “It was for the welfare of the people,” Tatkare said, adding that the party had considered aligning with the BJP-led NDA several times since 2014 but backed out at the last moment.
He stressed that the NCP, under Ajit Pawar’s leadership, joined the NDA without abandoning its secular values or the ideologies of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, and Shahu Maharaj.
“We joined the NDA without compromising on our secular ideology and the ideology of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Shahu Maharaj,” Tatkare stated.
Tatkare firmly rejected rumours of a reunion, stating, “There is no such proposal.”
Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister, also avoided commenting directly on a possible merger, saying such decisions are made by senior leaders, not party workers. Defending his move to join the BJP-led government, he said, “We’re not saints who are happy just protesting in the opposition. We want to work for the people.”
At a separate event, NCP (Sharad Pawar) MP Supriya Sule sidestepped questions about a reunion. Recently back from leading a multi-party delegation abroad for Operation Sindoor, she said she hadn’t had time to discuss party matters.
“Some people went with other ideologies, and this split widened. I do not want to talk about it today,” Sule said. She credited the loyalty of her party’s workers to its core ideology.
Sharad Pawar, speaking at his faction’s event, urged supporters to stay united and focus on serving the public. “Do not dwell on who has left or who has joined. If we stay united and remain committed to the common people, we will not face any problems,” the veteran leader said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Maharashtra, India, India
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