Maharashtra is potentially on the cusp of another major political realignment, with Sharad Pawar's recent remarks adding to speculation of a potential reconciliation between his wing of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and his nephew Ajit Pawar's wing.
Sharad Pawar, in an interview recently, said that there are differing opinions within his party about the possibility of reunification. While some leaders favor merging the two factions, others believe the NCP should remain aligned with the INDIA alliance and avoid any alliance with the BJP.
These comments have renewed speculation regarding the reunification of the two NCP factions, particularly with all the buzz currently in Maharashtra regarding a possible tie-up between Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray. Posters in favor of their coming together have come up in the state, and now there is similar speculation regarding whether Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar too can bury the hatchet.
During the interview, Sharad Pawar was questioned regarding the possibility of reunification of the two NCP factions. He replied casually, "The decision to reunite both factions rests with Supriya Sule. She and Ajit Pawar need to sit together and decide. When the NCP was established, all these individuals were together, and they had the same ideology. So if they reunite again in the future, I won't be surprised.". Now, all my MPs are one in their attitude. There is a possibility of unrest among the MLAs because they are stuck to constituency-based work, and this leads to discontent. I am now pretty detached from decision-making. Whatever the decision that has to be taken, that will be decided by Supriya Sule.
Ajit Pawar has the backing of the majority of NCP MLAs at present, whereas Sharad Pawar continues to hold sway over conventional voters and still has a powerful national presence. If the two groups reunite, it might strengthen the party's power. Sharad Pawar also made use of the moment to slam the working of the INDIA alliance, reiterating that Supriya Sule would be the one taking major decisions in the future, generating interest in whether the NCP factions are on the verge of reunification.
Reacting to the events, former minister Chhagan Bhujbal was hopeful of reunification. "Sharad Pawar has given us a ray of hope for the reunification of both NCP factions. His experience will certainly be helpful. I genuinely hope this reconciliation takes place at the earliest. If both factions of the NCP are uniting, then I am willing to mediate," he said.
But Anil Deshmukh, a Sharad Pawar faction leader and former minister, did not care to comment on the issue. He stated, "Sharad Pawar may have spoken according to the desire expressed by some party workers, but at present, we are busy consolidating our party."
