Amit Shah's Pune visit and why BJP wants NCP merger despite Supriya Sule's rejection

The proposed NCP merger has stalled over leadership differences, with Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar reportedly opposing Sharad Pawar taking charge of the reunited party, while Supriya Sule has declared the merger chapter closed.

In Short

• NCP merger talks stalled over leadership dispute between factions
• Supriya Sule denies merger and joining NDA after Ajit Pawar's death
• Amit Shah's Pune visit linked to possible talks with Pawar family

The proposed merger of the two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions appears to have hit a roadblock over the question of leadership, even as the BJP continues to weigh its political and parliamentary calculations around a possible reunion.

While leaders from both factions had reportedly explored the possibility of bringing the two sides together under Sharad Pawar's leadership, Sunetra Pawar and her son Parth Pawar are understood to have reservations about the arrangement.

The leadership dispute has prevented the negotiations from reaching a consensus. Meanwhile, NCP (SP) working president and MP Supriya Sule has sought to put an end to speculation surrounding the merger and the possibility of her party joining the NDA, declaring that the merger chapter ended with the death of her brother, Ajit Pawar.

The developments have assumed added significance ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's Pune visit on November 15 and 16. Shah is scheduled to attend a Pune Zilla Parishad programme where a statue of late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will be unveiled. Sources indicate that Shah could also hold discussions with Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar during the visit.

Interestingly, the time allotted for the programme has reportedly been increased from 20 minutes to 40 minutes, triggering speculation about the BJP's political calculations surrounding the possible merger.

SUPRIYA SULE RULES OUT MERGER AND NDA DISCUSSIONS

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Supriya Sule categorically denied that her party was discussing a merger with the Ajit Pawar faction or considering joining the NDA. She maintained that the discussions about bringing the two factions together had taken place when Ajit Pawar was alive and that his death had changed the situation completely.

"I am tired of these merger discussions. As long as my brother was alive, there were discussions about the merger, and even a date had been decided. The day my brother passed away, the merger chapter ended for me and my party. Whatever had been decided was between Ajit Dada and us. We have not issued any statement after that, nor have we countered statements made by the Ajit Pawar faction," Sule said.

She further asserted that the Ajit Pawar faction had made no proposal and had neither called nor sent a message regarding the merger.

Rejecting speculation about her party joining the NDA, Sule said, "There is no discussion about joining the NDA. When there is no discussion, where is the question of a comma or a full stop?"

She also made it clear that her party had no intention of joining the ruling establishment, reiterating that the earlier discussions had taken place directly with Ajit Pawar.

WHY DOES BJP WANT SHARAD PAWAR AND NCP MERGER?

Behind the renewed political interest in bringing the two NCP factions together are the BJP's parliamentary and broader political calculations.

Sources indicate that around three months ago, against the backdrop of the Women's Reservation and Delimitation Bills, the BJP initiated discussions with nearly 44 MPs belonging to different political parties to secure their support during voting on the proposed legislation.

However, the political atmosphere against the Union government has reportedly changed over the past three months. The BJP leadership is believed to be concerned that some of these MPs could reconsider their positions and might not necessarily support the government when crucial legislation comes up for voting.

In this context, a merger of the two NCP factions could provide the BJP with an additional parliamentary advantage. Sharad Pawar's faction has eight Lok Sabha MPs, while Sunetra Pawar's faction has one MP. A reunited NCP could therefore bring nine MPs under one political umbrella, potentially strengthening the BJP-led NDA's position in Parliament.

The BJP's calculations, however, go beyond parliamentary numbers.

Sharad Pawar has maintained political relationships across party lines for decades and continues to wield influence among several opposition leaders. The BJP leadership is believed to view his inclusion in the NDA's political orbit as an opportunity to weaken the unity of the INDIA bloc and potentially use his political relationships to reach out to MPs from other parties.

Sources suggest that this broader political calculation was among the reasons why the BJP leadership was receptive to the possibility of bringing the two NCP factions together. However, the leadership dispute within the party has complicated the process.

WHERE EXACTLY DID MERGER NEGOTIATIONS STOP?

Several rounds of meetings and informal discussions have reportedly taken place between leaders of the two NCP factions in recent weeks.

After NCP leader Praful Patel met Sharad Pawar, a separate meeting reportedly took place between Patel and Supriya Sule in Delhi on Friday evening. The meeting lasted approximately 40 minutes, during which they discussed the possibility of taking the merger process forward and arriving at a final arrangement.

Before this meeting, Parth Pawar had reportedly met Sharad Pawar twice. Discussions had also taken place between Parth Pawar and senior NCP leader Jayant Patil.

However, the negotiations reportedly ran into difficulties when the question of national leadership came up.

Supriya Sule is believed to have favoured Sharad Pawar taking charge of the reunited organisation as its national president. According to sources, she felt that the party could remain united under his leadership, with important organisational decisions taken under his guidance.

Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar, however, are understood to have a different position. Parth Pawar reportedly favoured Sunetra Pawar becoming the national president of the reunited NCP.

Another arrangement under discussion reportedly involved giving Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar a say in organisational appointments and changes in Maharashtra, while Supriya Sule would handle national-level responsibilities as the national working president.

A separate proposal reportedly favoured keeping both factions united under Sharad Pawar, with the senior leader retaining overall control of the organisation and its decision-making process. Some senior leaders from both factions are understood to have supported this arrangement.

However, Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar have reportedly not agreed to the proposal. The disagreement over the national president's post and the distribution of organisational powers has consequently prevented the negotiations from reaching a consensus.

SUPRIYA SULE'S STATEMENT PUTS MERGER NARRATIVE IN QUESTION

Sule's press conference on Saturday has added another dimension to the developments.

Her categorical assertion that the merger discussions ended with Ajit Pawar's death contradicts the continuing speculation about negotiations between the two factions. She also rejected claims that her party was considering joining the NDA, saying that no such proposal had come from the Ajit Pawar faction.

Her remarks are particularly significant because they come amid reports of meetings involving Praful Patel, Parth Pawar and other senior leaders, as well as speculation about the BJP's interest in bringing the two factions together.

While reports of negotiations have continued to emerge, Sule's statement indicates that her faction is not acknowledging any ongoing merger process.

SUNIL TATKARE AND CHHAGAN BHUJBAL ON DIFFERENT SHORES

NCP state president Sunil Tatkare, speaking in Delhi, also denied that any merger discussions were taking place.

"As of now, there are no discussions regarding the merger. Pawar Saheb has made a significant contribution to the country's politics over the last 60 years. Considering his age, his health is not always good. All of us have attained various political positions with his blessings. Praful Bhai had gone to meet him to enquire about his health. Visiting Pawar Saheb to enquire about his health does not mean that merger discussions have taken place," Tatkare said.

He added that he was in Delhi for his own meetings and that there was nothing unusual if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to Sharad Pawar.

Tatkare, however, acknowledged that certain discussions had taken place when Ajit Pawar was alive.

Meanwhile, senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal recalled a conversation involving Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil and himself.

Bhujbal said that after undergoing an operation, Jayant Patil had visited him. During their meeting, Bhujbal asked Patil how long the two sides would continue to remain politically distant. He also recalled that a discussion involving himself, Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil had lasted approximately 40 to 50 minutes.

AMIT SHAH'S PUNE VISIT ASSUMES SIGNIFICANCE

Against this backdrop, Amit Shah's Pune visit on November 15 and 16 has acquired political significance.

Interestingly, Shah does not have any major public programme scheduled in Pune city during the visit. There had been speculation that he would attend the inauguration of the marathon organised by Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol. Hoardings had also been put up across the city publicising his expected presence.

However, Shah is scheduled to arrive in Pune on Sunday afternoon and will not attend the marathon inauguration.

Instead, his participation in the Pune Zilla Parishad programme, where a statue of late Ajit Pawar will be unveiled, has drawn attention. The Zilla Parishad has been politically dominated by the NCP, making Shah's participation in the event particularly noteworthy.

More importantly, the time allotted for the programme has reportedly been increased from 20 minutes to 40 minutes. Sources indicate that Shah could use the opportunity to interact with Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar.

There is no major public engagement scheduled for Shah from Sunday evening until Monday morning. This has fuelled speculation that he could hold political discussions with senior Mahayuti leaders during this period.

With the leadership question continuing to divide the two NCP factions, Sule ruling out the merger and the BJP's parliamentary calculations adding another dimension to the developments, Shah's Pune visit could become an important political moment in Maharashtra.

For now, the proposed merger remains caught between competing leadership claims, even as the BJP's interest in bringing the two factions together continues to attract attention.

- Ends