A secret informal meeting held recently by Sharad Pawar-led NCP leaders with other political figures at a Pune hotel revived the possibility of a merger between the two NCP factions: the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and the Sunetra Ajit Pawar-led NCP. This followed the leak of a photograph from the meeting to social media on Thursday.
Significantly, the development has coincided with recent the leadership reshuffle in the Sunetra Ajit Pawar-led NCP, which resulted in Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare losing their senior posts and getting sidelined within the party, even as Sunetra’s sons Parth Pawar and Jay Pawar gort elevated as national general secretaries as well as members of the party’s decision making executive body.
According to sources, the secret meeting was attended by former minister Anil Deshmukh, MP Amol Kolhe, Harshvardhan Patil, Shashikant Shinde (Sharad Pawar-led NCP state president), Jayant Patil (Sharad Pawar-led NCP senior leader), Rajesh Tope, Balasaheb Patil, and Devdutt Nikam (Pune district president of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP).
Sources further said the meeting lasted a long time and took place in a hotel, not a party office, but no one from either the Sunetra Ajit Pawar-led NCP or the Sharad Pawar-led NCP would confirm or deny the development.
There was an in-depth discussion on the internal affairs of both the NCPs at the meetion. Political equations between the two parties, forthcoming elections and probable organisational changes were all discussed in a detailed manner, sources said, adding that more such meetings are likely in the days to come.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar remained silent about senior leaders like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare being sidelined within her party. She maintained a silence on any talks of merger which only fuelled political speculation in all political parties.
Sunetra Pawar also remained tightlipped even after Sharad Pawar-led NCP MLA Rohit Pawar openly stated on Wednesday that Sunetra Ajit Pawar-led NCP leaders Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel, along with 22 other Sunetra Ajit Pawar-led NCP MLAs plan to contest all future elections on BJP tickets. However, sources said that although all concerned parties are tight-lipped now, a lot is happening behind the scenes.
Further indications that all is not well within the Sunetra Ajit Pawar-led NCP emerged after senior Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant told media persons on Friday that former party leader Anand Paranjpe joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena to stop him from joining an Opposition party.
Samant also stated that Sunetra’s faction was kept in the loop about the induction to avoid any misunderstanding.
Anand Paranjpe resigned from the Sunetra Ajit Pawar-led NCP and joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Thursday. Both the Sunetra Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena are part of the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti.