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The answer may lie in the history of the split, the unfinished negotiations after Ajit Pawar’s death, and the growing unease within the ruling NCP over who calls the shots
(From left) Sharad Pawar, Sunetra Pawar, and Praful Patel.
A hospital visit, two back-to-back meetings, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s phone call and a startling admission about a merger that was supposedly off the table. Maharashtra’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is once again at the centre of reunion speculation, with a flurry of political activity raising questions about whether the two factions are quietly inching towards a rapprochement.
The signals, however, are anything but straightforward. While NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has been meeting leaders from both sides, his grandnephew Parth Pawar has called on him twice in two days. Senior NCP leader Praful Patel has also met the veteran politician and indicated that another meeting could take place after November 10. And then came Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare’s claim that the merger would have been formalised on February 12 had Ajit Pawar been alive.
Yet, the public denials have been just as emphatic. Patel insists his visit was not for political discussions, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP says no merger talks are taking place, and leaders in Sharad Pawar’s camp maintain that the question has already been put to rest.
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So, is a reunion back on the table, or is Maharashtra witnessing a series of family and political meetings being read as something bigger? The answer may lie in the history of the split, the unfinished negotiations after Ajit Pawar’s death, and the growing unease within the ruling NCP over who calls the shots.
Why Is There Fresh Merger Buzz?
The immediate trigger was a meeting between Patel, the NCP’s national working president, and Sharad Pawar at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital, where the latter was being treated for a chest and respiratory infection.
A video of the interaction surfaced on social media. In it, Sharad Pawar appears to tell Patel that they could sit together after November 10, to which Patel responds that he would be back in Mumbai by then.
Patel subsequently said the visit was primarily to enquire about Sharad Pawar’s health. Speaking to reporters, he maintained that their personal and family ties had continued despite their political differences. He also said there had been no detailed political discussion at the hospital, as it was not an appropriate place for one.
However, the interaction acquired political significance because it came shortly after a group of senior NCP leaders met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. The delegation included Patel, Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dilip Walse Patil and Dhananjay Munde. Sunetra Pawar and her son Parth were not part of the delegation.
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The Indian Express, citing sources, said the leaders had discussed the possibility of bringing the two NCP factions together and aligning the reunited party with the BJP-led NDA. Reports also suggested that the delegation raised concerns about the functioning of the party under Sunetra Pawar and the growing influence of Parth.
The NCP, however, described the Delhi meeting as pre-planned and said it was meant to discuss issues concerning the party after Ajit Pawar’s death. Its spokesperson Umesh Patil rejected suggestions that the meeting reflected a lack of coordination within the leadership.
Sunil Tatkare’s February 12 Remark
The most significant acknowledgment of earlier merger discussions came from Tatkare, the Maharashtra president of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Tatkare said the merger would have been formalised by February 12 had Ajit Pawar been alive. He said Ajit had personally informed him about the discussions and how the reunification was to be finalised.
“Ajit dada had told me about the merger discussions and how they would be finalised,” Tatkare was quoted as saying by PTI. The statement marked a departure from earlier denials by leaders of the ruling NCP and gave fresh momentum to speculation that negotiations had progressed further than publicly acknowledged.
Praful Patel Says Meeting Not Political
Patel has sought to distance his hospital visit from the merger speculation. He said he had gone to enquire about Sharad Pawar’s health and that their relationship remained cordial despite their political differences.
He also clarified that he would try to meet Sharad Pawar again after November 10, once he returned to Mumbai from Gondia, cautioning against reading a political meaning into the proposed meeting.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Patel said the hospital visit was not meant for political discussions. The Times of India, however, reported that he acknowledged a brief discussion about political developments, while maintaining that there was no detailed conversation.
NCP Denies Merger Discussion
The ruling NCP has repeatedly rejected reports of an imminent reunion.
On Sunday, party chief spokesperson Umesh Patil told The Indian Express: “There is no talk of merger within the NCP. It is not even discussed. It is insensitive to even discuss such political moves while Sharad Pawar ji is recovering.”
Patil described the reports as hearsay being circulated by people with vested interests. He also said Parth’s visits to Sharad Pawar were family interactions, not political meetings.
The clarification came after Parth visited Sharad Pawar at his Silver Oak residence on Saturday and again on Sunday. The visits lasted nearly two hours each. The Indian Express reported that the family had decided against celebrating Diwali this year in view of the drought and Ajit Pawar’s death, and that Parth had attended a family lunch.
Sharad Pawar’s Camp Plays Down Reports
The NCP (SP) has not confirmed that fresh merger negotiations are underway either.
According to The Times of India, Parth’s second visit was followed by a separate meeting between Sharad Pawar and senior NCP (SP) leaders, including Jayant Patil, Shashikant Shinde, Amol Kolhe, Anil Deshmukh and Jitendra Awhad. The meeting lasted nearly three hours. Kolhe and Awhad told reporters that the meeting was to enquire about Sharad Pawar’s health and that no merger was discussed.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has also opposed the suggestion that merger talks are currently underway, saying the matter had not even been discussed within his party.
The faction had earlier taken a firmer position. In May, NCP (SP) Maharashtra chief Shashikant Shinde said the merger issue had been closed and that the party would focus on strengthening its organisation as an opposition force. Supriya Sule and Jayant Patil had also said the faction had moved on from the merger question.
How Did The NCP Split In The First Place?
The Nationalist Congress Party was founded on June 10, 1999, by Sharad Pawar, PA Sangma and Tariq Anwar after they were expelled from the Congress. The leaders had opposed Sonia Gandhi’s elevation as Congress president, raising the issue of her foreign origin.
The party went on to become an important political force in Maharashtra and remained a Congress ally for several years, including in the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre.
The major rupture came on July 2, 2023, when Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar’s nephew, joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra along with several MLAs and took oath as deputy chief minister. He subsequently staked claim to the NCP name and its election symbol, the clock, arguing that he had the support of a majority of the party’s legislators.
Sharad Pawar, meanwhile, continued to lead the rival faction.
In February 2024, the Election Commission recognised the Ajit Pawar-led group as the real NCP and allotted it the party name and clock symbol. The Sharad Pawar faction was given the name Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, commonly referred to as NCP (SP), and later received the ‘man blowing turha’ symbol.
The split also reshaped Maharashtra’s political alignments. Ajit Pawar’s faction became part of the BJP-led Mahayuti government, while Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) remained with the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, alongside the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT).
Why Did The Merger Talks Stall?
The possibility of a reunion gained traction after the two factions began exploring a rapprochement, with discussions reportedly involving Ajit Pawar and NCP (SP) leaders Jayant Patil and others.
The issue took on greater significance after Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28, 2026. His wife, Sunetra Pawar, subsequently took over as the NCP chief and became deputy chief minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government.
The two factions gave differing accounts of the status of the discussions after his death. The NCP (SP) acknowledged that talks had taken place and argued that Ajit’s unfinished political work should be completed. The ruling NCP initially denied that any such negotiations were underway, before Tatkare’s recent remarks indicated that a merger had been planned for February.
In May, however, Sharad Pawar’s faction said it had ended the process. The latest statements from Tatkare have now reopened questions about how far the negotiations had progressed and whether the remaining leaders are willing to revive them.
The Parth Pawar Factor And Internal Differences
The merger speculation is unfolding alongside reports of unease within the ruling NCP over the growing influence of Parth Pawar.
A senior NCP delegation’s meeting with Amit Shah without Sunetra or Parth drew attention, particularly amid reports that some veteran leaders were unhappy with the way the party was being run.
The Times of India reported that a section of senior leaders was upset over key organisational decisions being taken without adequate consultation. The appointments of Umesh Patil as national chief spokesperson and Zeeshan Siddiqui as Mumbai unit president were among the decisions that reportedly caused resentment. Senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal had publicly said he learnt about the appointments through media reports.
The same report said some senior leaders were keen to revive merger discussions with the Sharad Pawar faction. The development has also raised questions about the balance of authority between the Pawar family and the party’s experienced leadership.
The NCP leadership, however, has denied that the party is divided. Sunetra Pawar has remained at the helm, while Parth has been increasingly visible in organisational matters.
Where Does The BJP Stand?
The BJP has so far avoided taking a public position on whether the two NCP factions should reunite.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the two factions were independent political entities and were free to take their own decisions. He added that if any merger discussions were underway, the BJP, as the senior partner in the alliance, would expect to be consulted.
The political implications of a reunion would extend beyond Maharashtra’s ruling coalition. A merger could bring Sharad Pawar and his faction’s legislators into the Mahayuti fold, potentially changing the state’s political arithmetic as well as the Opposition’s strength.
A phone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Sharad Pawar after the latter’s hospitalisation has added another layer to the speculation. Sharad Pawar’s aide Vitthal Maniyar said PM Modi had enquired about his health and referred to Supriya Sule being ready to help take care of the country. Neither Pawar nor the prime minister publicly confirmed the reported political significance being attached to the conversation.
For now, the meetings, statements and counter-statements have revived the merger question without resolving it. The proposed meeting between Patel and Sharad Pawar after November 10 could draw further attention, but until either faction confirms formal negotiations, a reunion remains speculation rather than a settled political development.
Quick Answers
The fresh merger buzz was triggered by a hospital meeting between NCP national working president Praful Patel and Sharad Pawar at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital, alongside a delegation of senior NCP leaders meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. Additionally, Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare claimed that a merger would have been formalised on February 12 if Ajit Pawar had been alive.
About the Author
Apoorva Misra is an Associate Editor at News18.com with a keen interest in politics and current affairs. She loves uncovering fresh angles and telling stories through long-form features and explainers…Read More
November 09, 2026, 09:08 IST
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