NCP Unity Talks Without Sunetra, Parth as Group Meets Amit Shah

This development follows a day after NCP (Sharad Pawar) took part in the INDIA bloc protest held in Delhi

BJP Pushes For NCP Reunion Minus Two Key Faces

A day after NCP (Sharad Pawar) joined the INDIA bloc protest in the capital, the BJP intensified efforts to widen the NDA. It wants both NCP factions to come together and join the ruling alliance, sources revealed.

Yet internal disagreements persist within the Ajit Pawar camp. A group of its leaders met Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday morning. They wanted to check if a merger could happen without two prominent leaders, Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar, it has been learnt.

Senior Leaders Hold Talks With Shah

NCP (Ajit Pawar) leaders including Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Dhananjay Munde, Hasan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal, Sameer Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil met Shah at his residence. This happened on Monday morning, sources confirmed. A core committee meeting of the party is scheduled in Mumbai the same afternoon.

NCP national spokesperson Umesh Patil called it unfortunate that political meaning was attached to this meeting. He stated, ”It is an attempt to fabricate a narrative of internal party differences. It appears that certain unseen forces are planting such reports to create an artificial narrative that there is a lack of coordination in the leadership. This is purely malicious.”

Earlier Meeting Pitched Parth As NDA Point Person

Monday’s meeting followed another one last week, where Sunetra and Parth had met Shah separately. During that meeting, they proposed Parth as the main contact person for the merged NCP within NDA, sources said. A source added that the Sharad Pawar faction is unlikely to accept such a proposal.

BJP sources believe this Monday gathering was meant to prove that key Ajit Pawar faction leaders remain united, though not aligned with Sunetra and Parth’s approach.

Rejecting such claims, Patil explained the meeting happened after Sunetra informed Shah during her last visit that senior party leaders would seek time to meet him separately.

No Final Decision Yet, Says Sharad Pawar Camp

Sources within NCP (Sharad Pawar) clarified that no decision on merging or joining NDA has been made until now.

Since BJP wants NCP to join NDA as one unified party, its top leadership has reportedly proposed two Union Cabinet positions. This move aims to balance influence between both factions. BJP insiders also noted that keeping NCP separate could help the coalition gain non-Brahmin and Maratha community support across Maharashtra.

Ground Cadre Unhappy, Leadership Treads Carefully

BJP is already facing backlash from its grassroots workers and traditional leaders. They allege the leadership is sidelining its own loyal members while distributing power with allies. Sources said top leaders are being cautious not to weaken BJP’s coalition partners in the process.

Ambition Clash Becomes A Hurdle, Say BJP Sources

According to BJP insiders, personal ambitions of certain leaders are slowing down merger plans. Parth, currently a Rajya Sabha MP, reportedly wants his mother to get the finance portfolio in Maharashtra’s government, a post his late father Ajit Pawar once held under Devendra Fadnavis. Parth is also said to desire the NCP’s national president post.

However, senior figures like state president Sunil Tatkare, working president Praful Patel and Chhagan Bhujbal prefer a more inclusive approach to sharing power.

Spokesperson Calls It A Routine, Pre Planned Meeting

Umesh Patil, chief spokesperson of NCP (Ajit Pawar), said leaders discussed matters concerning the party after the unfortunate demise of late Ajitdada Pawar. On X, he wrote: “These senior leaders have in-depth knowledge of some important matters from late Ajitdada’s tenure, issues concerning the interests of the state, and various matters related to the party. In that context, today’s meeting was a pre-planned, formal one.”

He reiterated it was unfortunate that unnecessary political colour was being attached to the meeting.