PUNE: Upset with the functioning of NCP chief Sunetra Pawar’s elder son Parth Pawar, a group of party seniors are exploring the possibility of reviving merger talks with NCP (SP) after three rounds of meetings this week failed to ease tension within its top leadership.On Thursday, NCP working president Praful Patel met NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. A short video of the meeting surfaced on social media, in which Pawar was heard asking Patel to arrange a meeting after Nov 10. This fuelled speculation about the possible resumption of merger discussions between the two parties.Though NCP state president Sunil Tatkare on Friday said no meeting with NCP (SP) leaders has been scheduled, he admitted that the reunification was a part of late Ajit Pawar’s plan. “When the merger talks were on, Ajit Dada had shared details with me. Had he been alive, the merger would have taken place on Feb 12,” Tatkare said.Tatkare had refuted the NCP (SP) members’ claims of merger talks between the two parties soon after Ajit Pawar’s death in a plane crash in Jan. NCP (SP) MLA and Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew, Rohit Pawar, expressed surprise over Tatkare’s latest admission.Also read: Sharad Pawar stable, responding well to treatment: Doc“Within 10 days of Ajit Pawar’s death, both Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare had denied that merger talks were on between the two NCPs. I do not understand what has changed for them to alter their stand. This statement clearly suggests that his remarks are politically motivated. It appears that they are facing internal problems within their party,” he said.Speculation about the possible resumption of merger talks intensified amid growing tension within NCP’s top leadership. The rift within NCP surfaced after a group of senior party members, including Rajya Sabha member and NCP national working president Praful Patel, state president Sunil Tatkare, ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, former ministers Dilip Walse Patil and Dhananjay Munde, and former MLA Samir Bhujbal, met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi without Sunetra and Parth on Nov 1.Despite Parth’s assertion that decisions within the party were being unanimously taken, a section of NCP seniors claimed that he continued to show reluctance to step back from his views, compelling them to explore other options.“Merely holding meetings and assuring everyone that the issues will be sorted out is not enough. Words need to be translated into action. Sunetra and Parth need to explain how they intend to address the internal issues. After all, it is a political party, and not a private business,” a senior NCP core committee member told TOI.The disgruntled group’s actions began soon after its meeting with Shah. Among the options they are exploring is challenging Parth’s leadership within the party and strengthening ties with Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).“Since almost all party workers have worked under Sharad Pawar’s leadership, most of us share a good relationship with him. Even after NCP split, many party members continue to meet him. While the merger talks were put on the back burner following Ajit Pawar’s death, the option was never completely ruled out,” another NCP senior told TOI.Also read: PM Modi’s Sule message to Sharad Pawar; ‘internal tussle’ in NCP: Is Maharashtra politics heading for another churn?Another NCP senior said, “Before initiating the merger talks, there has to be clarity on two crucial issues: which political alliance the reunited party would align with and who would lead it. Talks can resume only after these questions are answered.”When Ajit Pawar was alive, the merger talks had reportedly reached an advanced stage. According to NCP members, he was expected to lead the reunited party and both groups were in agreement with it. “We were already working under his (Ajit Pawar’s) leadership and had no problem continuing to work with him after the merger. However, the situation is different now,” an NCP lawmaker said.Amid all this, NCP (SP) appears to have adopted a cautious stance on the merger issue. “We had taken the initiative and were prepared for a merger, but did not receive the response we expected. There is no point in merely holding discussions. Pawar Saheb has made it clear that those interested in talks should approach us. The question is if they are willing to come forward and initiate the discussion,” NCP (SP) state president Shashikant Shinde said.
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