The leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Sharad Pawar, said Saturday that any attempts at uniting the two groups of the party had hit a deadlock with the passage of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. He claims that the planned merger, which was to take place on February 12, has been derailed, and there are signs that leaders of the Ajit Pawar-led group are no longer keen on proceeding with that, although his own group is still willing to unite.
In his first press conference since the demise of Ajit Paw and the hectic political events that ensued thereafter, Sharad Pawar indicated that talks on the merger had been in progression for almost four months. The abrupt tragedy has, however, left the party’s direction in doubt. Regrettably, the merger discussions have been put on hold because of the plane crash in which Ajit Pawar was involved, and they had a mutual intention of uniting the two parties. He also said that he would want the two parties to reconcile.
These remarks by Pawar were in the face of speculation that Sunetra Pawar had taken office as deputy chief minister in a rush. Materials in the Ajit Pawar camp have indicated that it was due to internal pressure and a fear that, without the presence of a robust leadership centre, the faction might lose its way and cohesion. Sharad Pawar seemed to mention these fears, stating that there might have been a feeling that someone had to take charge of the party, and this might be the reason behind the recent developments.
He further mentioned the role played by Ajit Pawar during the merger discussions and how Ajit Pawar had suggested that February 12 would be a potential date and was actively involved in the discussions. In answering questions on whether Sunetra Pawar had haste in taking the oath, Pawar replied that he had no idea whether he was in a hurry and seemed to imply that the order was probably within their own ranks.
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