Merger of two NCP factions 'very much on course', but likely to change Maharashtra's power dynamics

Mumbai, Jan 30: The proposed merger of two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions - each headed by Ajit Pawar, who was killed in a plane crash two days ago, and his uncle Sharad Pawar - is "very much on course", with talks reaching an "advanced stage" even before the deputy chief minister's death, sources said. However, the merger will also bring with it change in power dynamics as the NCP (SP) camp believes that veteran leader Sharad Pawar will now naturally resume a "central role" in guiding the unified cadre, while the ruling NCP is keen on proposing late Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar, a Rajya Sabha MP, for the post of deputy CM to maintain the family's political legacy, they said.

The talks about the reunification had already started when Ajit Pawar was alive. In fact, the two parties even contested the civic polls in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad together.

The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, was vertically split after Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government in July 2023. He was appointed the deputy CM at that time. Pawar's stint in the same post continued after Devendra Fadnavis came to the helm as CM following the November 2024 assembly polls.

The claim over the (NCP's) party name and poll symbol had seen a bitter contest between the two factions with Ajit Pawar's camp getting the original 'NCP' name and analogue alarm clock poll symbol. At present, NCP is part of the Mahayuti government, while NCP (SP) is a constituent of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).