Don't be surprised if the two NCP factions unite: Sharad Pawar

PUNE: NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar set political circles buzzing Thursday when he hinted at the possibility of two NCP factions reuniting in the future. After Pawar's statement, both camps of NCP sent out positive signals about possibility of a reunion.

During an informal chat with the media, Pawar said a section of his party was in favour of joining hands with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. As far as a decision on reunion goes, the politician said he was not "actively involved in taking such decisions".

Pawar said his daughter Supriya Sule , also NCP (SP)'s working president, would have to sit and discuss the matter with her cousin, Ajit Pawar . "If the reunion happens, it should not surprise others," Sharad Pawar said.

Ever since NCP split on July 2, 2023, both factions were vocal against each other. During last year's LS and assembly elections, both NCP factions not only fielded candidates against each other but also got engaged in the fiercest poll campaigns.

A significant change was, however, noticed after assembly polls when the Ajit faction made substantial gains by winning 41 of 59 seats it contested. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who avoided sharing stage with Sharad Pawar at events before polls, was seen visiting his uncle's Delhi residence to wish him on his birthday. Recently, in a span of less than a month, both Sharad and Ajit attended three-four events together. One of these was the engagement ceremony of Ajit Pawar's younger son, Jay, in Pune.

With Sharad Pawar's hint of a possible reunion, the future of MVA - the alliance of NCP (SP), Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) - now hangs in balance. The NCP (SP) chief has remained the guiding force for MVA in the state. He was also the key campaigner for the opposition alliance in both the Lok Sabha and assembly polls. Now, the MVA's future appears uncertain amidst the possibility of Sharad Pawar's NCP(SP) going with Ajit Pawar's NCP and also Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray 's signal to MNS chief and cousin Raj Thackeray for a reunion. A senior Congress neta told TOI, "In the last couple of months, we have observed that NCP (SP) has not shown much aggression against the state govt. There are also talks about Uddhav Thackeray's Sena joining hands with Raj Thackeray's MNS. In such a scenario, Congress will have to work out its own strategy for Maharashtra. Since there is not much time in hand for the party ahead of the local bodies elections, we are not showing much dependency on MVA for preparations."

Pawar's latest statement also evoked positive reactions from both factions of NCP. State NCP chief Sunil Tatkare said: "I came to know about Pawar Saheb's statement through media reports. We have not yet discussed the issue within the party. But as he has hinted at a possible reunion, we will discuss it at our core committee meeting."