Uncle-Nephew To Reunite? 'You Will Get To Know...': Ajit Pawar Says; Gives Big Post-Election NCP Merger Hint

New Delhi: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in an exclusive conversation with Republic TV, hinted at Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) merger after the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections. 

"Now, our priority is the local body elections. We are more focused on that right now. After these elections are over, we will see. We have not thought about that yet. You will get to know," Ajit Pawar said when asked about the merger. 

Underlining further, Ajit Pawar stressed that any decision on any probable merger will be taken after the elections conclude. 

The NCP chief further pointed out that development in different cities are their main focus right now and any decision taken would be on the basis of the party's long-term future, taking everyone into confidence.

“We should first think of development in different cities, we should ensure that all of them are corruption proof, the work should be of top quality, we should decide keeping the scenario of 25-50 years in mind, we should take everyone into confidence. That is our first responsibility,” Ajit Pawar said.

When asked why the two uncle-nephew factions came together in the first place ahead of the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad civic body polls, he stated the obvious, “We did not want our votes to get split. I we stay united it will help both out respective party workers. How will it work out if our party workers are angry at each other?”

What's Brewing?

Earlier, in a rare show of unity, Ajit Pawar's NCP and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) released a joint combined manifesto for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections. The announcement comes ahead of the January 15 civic polls to the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations, part of elections being held across 29 local bodies in Maharashtra.

Marking a notable moment in the poll season, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and his cousin Supriya Sule shared the stage for the manifesto's release, nearly two years after the NCP split in 2023, thereby underlining renewed coordination between the two camps, with murmurs that the two factions may merge in just 2-3 months.

Currently, the two NCP groups, one led by Ajit Pawar and the other by his uncle Sharad Pawar, are in the opposite camps in the Centre and at the state, but had formed an alliance to contest the civic polls in Pimpri and Pimpri Chinchwad.

Here's What Arnab Said

According to Republic Media Network Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, the two factions would be joining hands in just two-three months.

Arnab said that the modalities of the merger are almost over and Sharad Pawar has pushed for a Cabinet post for his daughter, Supriya Sule at the Centre. 

“Many things are happening together. My information is that the merger process is almost complete. The modalities are being worked out. There is a broad understanding. Once these elections are over, the Municipal elections and the BMC elections, they will announce the merger. Sharad Pawar wants two Ministries at the central level and he would obviously want a portfolio for Supriya Sule,” Arnab said on Saturday.

Speaking about the timings of the big merger announcement, Arnab said, "I think it would be announced under three months, any time within the next 2-3 months, sooner than later."

Arnab underlined that the visuals of Supriya Sule and Ajit Pawar sharing stage together on Saturday are significant and they are being "deliberately created to project unity at the national level, at a Maharashtra level, and not at a Pune civic poll level."

“This event is very important. It is not necessary for Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule to share the stage for a civic poll event. Neither was it necessary to create a big song and dance about it by releasing a manifesto, appearing on stage. This is only an excuse to show unity at the highest level. It is the coming together of the Sharad Pawar group and the Ajit Pawar group. There was no need for Ajit Pawar to contest as many as 100 civic seats in BMC elections either where they do not have a significant presence,” Arnab added.

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