Speculation over a possible reunion between the two rival NCP factions is back on, after a meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday between Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders Parth Pawar and Praful Patel and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar. Neither side has disclosed what was discussed, but the meeting alone was enough to reignite political chatter. That chatter had cooled in recent weeks.
The gathering comes days after Sharad Pawar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This meeting took place against the backdrop of the Cockroach Janta Party’s protests. Back-to-back high-level meetings like these have fed speculation. In fact, efforts to bring the two NCP camps together may be gathering renewed pace.
A family reshaped by loss
This round of talks looks different from earlier merger attempts for one significant reason. Ajit Pawar, who led the breakaway NCP faction and had been central to previous reunification efforts, died in an aviation accident in Baramati on January 28. His wife, Sunetra Pawar, now heads the party. Meanwhile, their son Parth, a Rajya Sabha MP since April, has taken on a more prominent political role in the months since.
Both Sunetra and Parth have been reported as reluctant to see the factions merge. People close to Sunetra say neither wants Sharad Pawar and his daughter, Supriya Sule, to regain control of the party. Therefore, Parth’s presence at Wednesday’s meeting with Sharad Pawar is notable, whatever the agenda turns out to be.
The backchannel talks behind the buzz
The meeting comes amid reports of renewed backchannel contact between the Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar camps. This has happened after merger efforts appeared to have lost momentum in recent weeks. Moreover, over the past few weeks, reports have suggested these efforts have continued despite public denials and occasional setbacks from both sides.
According to those reports, discussions have centred on merging the two factions before any broader political realignment takes place. The BJP is said to prefer a united NCP over separate engagements with the Sharad Pawar camp.
The party has reportedly linked the Sharad Pawar faction’s entry into the NDA to reunification first taking place. Some BJP leaders are keen to see Parth Pawar included in a future Union cabinet expansion.
A process that had appeared to stall earlier this year has reportedly picked back up. This comes after a string of meetings involving leaders from both camps.
Alongside senior BJP functionaries, there was a late-night meeting at Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s residence. That meeting involved Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil. None of the stakeholders has officially confirmed that a merger is imminent.
With Parth Pawar reportedly still resistant to the idea and the BJP pushing reunification as a precondition for the Sharad Pawar camp’s NDA entry, Wednesday’s meeting looks more like a probe than a breakthrough.
Whether it leads anywhere will depend on whether Sunetra and Parth Pawar can be brought on board. Alternatively, the talks might proceed around them entirely.
Curated news reports, in-depth analysis, and special features by India’s Opinion editorial team.
