As Sunetra Pawar Takes Control, NCP Merger Hopes Fade Away

(MENAFN- IANS) Mumbai, March 2 (IANS) Following the untimely demise of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife, Sunetra Pawar, officially assumed the role of National President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on February 26, signalling a definitive shift in the state’s political landscape, effectively dimming the prospects of a reconciliation or merger between the NCP and the Sharad Pawar-led faction.

Party seniors have hailed the appointment as the dawn of the “Sunetra Era”, sending a clear message that the party will not succumb to pressure from the Sharad Pawar camp.

NCP sources indicate that Sunetra Pawar intends to lead on her own terms, carrying forward the political legacy and ideology of her late husband while focusing on further strengthening the party organisation in the days to come. During her maiden speech at an NCP convention in Mumbai, Sunetra Pawar struck an emotional yet resolute chord.

Standing before a massive portrait of Ajit Pawar, she vowed to leave no stone unturned in fulfilling his goals.“We will work based on the policies of Ajit Pawar, rooted in the ideologies of Rajarshi Shahu, Jyotirao Phule, and Dr B.R. Ambedkar," she stated, connecting deeply with party workers while mourning the loss of the leader.

The convention was marked by an unexpectedly aggressive tone towards Sharad Pawar. Senior leaders made it clear that the bridge between the two factions has likely been burned. The NCP working president, Praful Patel, questioned the authority of the rival camp, asking, “How can they tell us how to run our party?”

Senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal criticised the haste of the Sharad Pawar group, alleging they began discussing a merger even before Ajit Pawar’s last rites were performed. “What right do they have to question Sunetra Pawar now?” he asked.

Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare revisited the 2004 Assembly elections, claiming that Ajit Pawar was deprived of the Chief Minister’s post at that time to accommodate the Congress party.

In a move to consolidate the family’s grip on the party, the NCP announced the candidacy of Parth Pawar, the elder son of Ajit and Sunetra, for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in March. As a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, the NCP possesses the necessary legislative numbers to ensure its victory.

Conversely, Sharad Pawar’s own path to the Rajya Sabha appears precarious. With only 10 MLAs, his re-election is now entirely dependent on the collective support of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), specifically the Shiv Sena(UBT) and Congress.

Despite the outward show of strength, a sense of uncertainty lingers. Some party insiders worry about the NCP’s viability for the 2029 Assembly elections. One minister, speaking on the condition of anonymity, admitted that while the surface is calm, there is deep-seated anxiety about the future. The history of the NCP has always been one of emotional ties. Many leaders who joined Ajit Pawar in the July 2023 split did so believing that the “two parties” existed only on paper and that a reunion was inevitable. However, those hopes seem to have perished with Ajit Pawar.

Insiders from the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) revealed that merger talks were at an advanced stage under Ajit Pawar’s personal initiative. According to sources, Ajit Pawar had two primary motivations for a merger, which included removing the“rebel” stigma and survival in state politics amid the BJP’s shat pratishat (100 per cent) mission.

NCP sources said that Ajit Pawar wished to reunite the family in the presence of his mother, Ashatai, and Sharad Pawar. He reportedly feared that remaining an independent entity would lead to the party being “swallowed” by the BJP.

Adding a layer of controversy, Rohit Pawar (Sharad Pawar’s grand-nephew) questioned the narrative of a merger, focusing instead on the circumstances of the Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s death. "Who wants a merger? Our fight is to get justice for Ajit Pawar. Shouldn’t the people of Maharashtra know the truth behind his accident?” he asked.

As the conflict between the two factions intensifies, political analysts suggest that the BJP’s perceived strategy – to prevent the two NCP groups from ever reuniting – is now becoming a reality.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at…)

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