Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar opposition delays merger of rival NCP factions
The formal reunification and merger of rival Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions has been delayed due to strong opposition from NCP president Sunetra Pawar and her son Parth Pawar, party insiders reported in Mumbai on Friday. The resistance has slowed down the unification process, which was being encouraged by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to bolster the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Parliament.
According to a close aide of Sunetra Pawar, both she and Parth Pawar are firmly opposed to the merger. The aide stated that they do not want NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and his daughter, Supriya Sule, who serves as the national working president of NCP (SP), to regain influence over the party's affairs.
The BJP leadership has reportedly been in discussions with leaders of both factions, urging them to resolve their differences. A merger would provide the NDA with additional support to pass key legislation, including the Constitution amendment bill for women's reservation and the delimitation bill. However, the BJP is reportedly avoiding imposing a settlement, believing that the Pawar family must resolve its internal differences first.
During this interim period, the NCP (SP) may extend issue-based support to the BJP-led NDA. Insiders from the NCP (SP) indicated that their MPs are willing to support the controversial delimitation bill on the floor of the House, even before any formal reunification takes place. Currently, the NCP (SP) holds eight Lok Sabha seats, while the NCP holds one.
Meanwhile, senior NCP (SP) leaders have downplayed the speculation. On Saturday, Jayant Patil dismissed the reports, questioning if the NDA had even invited them to join. Despite his comments, Patil recently held meetings with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde.
Supriya Sule also stated in Delhi that no formal invitation had been received from the NDA. She later shared on social media that she would be undergoing voice therapy and avoiding public speaking for the next one to two weeks. NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar declined to comment on the matter during a press briefing in Pune on Saturday.
