There is no word about a merger in the Nationalist Congress Party and Sharad Pawar’s meetings with Ajit Pawar faction leaders are routine, senior party leader Supriya Sule said today. There is no proposal for a merger and whatever talks were on, ended with the death of Ajit Pawar, Sule said today in an exclusive interview with NDTV.
There has never been any strain in our family relations, and there isn’t any today either”. Discussions happened when my brother was alive. We also had that sentiment. After he passed away, the matter ended there”. We have always met during family occasions, such as weddings or birthdays.
Even after 2023, we have continued to meet Ajit Dada.
Asked what is the hurdle for a merger, Sule said, “There is no question. About the meetings that have sparked the merger buzz — one between Sharad Pawar and his grandson Part and other with several leaders of the NCP — she said: “Sharad Pawar is Parth’s grandfather.
Asked whether she would support the government on delimitation, Sule said it is unclear when the bill will be introduced. But Sunetra Pawar — Ajit Pawar’s wife who stepped into his shoes in both government and the party, did not attend.
As for the other leaders, she said leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party “frequently meet with Pawar Saheb”. The matter was discussed at the meeting with Fadnavis and reports said the BJP had been pushing for a merger which will bring the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and its eight MPs into the NDA fold and boost the alliance’s numbers in parliament.
