KARAD: Maharashtra NCP president Sunil Tatkare on Monday said the party, under late Ajit Pawar's leadership, had collectively decided to join the BJP-led NDA and will stay in the ruling bloc and wondered which faction was to merge with whom, remarks coming amid reunification buzz.
The Lok Sabha MP asserted that appointing now Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, wife of Ajit Pawar, as the NCP legislature party head on Saturday was the outfit's own decision and the BJP, which leads the ruling Mahayuti alliance, had nothing to do with the move.
Talking to reporters at Karad in western Maharashtra's Satara district, Tatkare emphasised there should be clarity on "which party was to merge with which party," remarks indicating the much-speculated talks about a possible reunification between the rival factions -- ruling NCP and Opposition Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) -- were in a limbo for now.
He accompanied NCP leader Sunetra Pawar as she paid tributes at the memorial of the state's first CM YB Chavan in Karad, two days after she took over as the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Sunetra Pawar took oath as deputy CM on Saturday, three days after her husband and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash at Baramati in Pune district.
Replying to a question on his opposition to the proposed merger, Tatkare said there was no question of him or NCP working president Praful Patel having a different opinion over the issue.
"Under the leadership of Ajit dada we had taken a collective decision to join the BJP-led NDA and people of the state have stamped their approval of Ajit dada's decision in the (2024) assembly elections. Those speaking of a merger should answer whether they are fine with it," he said.
The Lok Sabha member from Raigad stressed the NCP legislature party was strong enough to take its own decisions like appointing a new leader.
Leaders of NCP (SP), including its chief Sharad Pawar, have claimed that merger talks were in advanced stages and his nephew Ajit Pawar had finalised February 12 as the date to announce reunification between the rival factions.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who belongs to the BJP, on Sunday said if merger talks were on, his deputy and NCP president Ajit Pawar would have shared details with him.
Asked why senior NCP (SP) leaders Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule were not present at the swearing in of Sunetra Pawar, Tatkare insisted it was the job of the protocol department to send out invitations for such events.
"After the election of Sunetra Pawar as the NCP legislature party leader we met Chief Minister Fadnavis and apprised him of our decision. The BJP has never told us what decisions we should take about our party," he affirmed.
To a question on why Ajit Pawar's son, Parth, was not present at the swearing in ceremony in Mumbai, Tatkare said as the elder son of the late politician, he was present in hometown Baramati to accept condolences.
Senior NCP leader and minister Hasan Mushrif told reporters that Sunetra Pawar and the Pawar family will take a call on the merger issue.
"I had heard Ajitdada speaking about reunification at campaign meetings (organised for local body polls), but there was no talk with senior party leaders and NCP (SP) functionaries (on merger). (NCP-SP leader) Jayant Patil told me that talks were on with Ajit Pawar on the issue, but I am not aware if the BJP was in the loop and agreed to reunification," Mushrif claimed.
He said Sunetra Pawar's decision to accept the post of Deputy Chief Minister in place of her late husband was aimed at keeping the party united.
NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad insisted that it was "2,000 per cent correct" that merger talks were on between the rival groups.
Asked about the reunification speculation, state NCP (SP) president Shashikant Shinde maintained his party was now focusing on the February 7 Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls in Maharashtra.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Vijay Wadettiwar alleged that a conspiracy has been hatched to prevent the merger of the NCP factions.
He said political developments following the death of Ajit Pawar on January 28 have raised several questions.
Wadettiwar, whose party is an ally of the NCP (SP), claimed that discussions between Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit on merging their factions were at an advanced stage.
Taking a swipe at the BJP, the CLP leader asked whether decisions related to a party required the approval of the saffron outfit or the chief minister.
Wadettiwar rued more focus was placed on the possible merger of the two NCPs than on Ajit Pawar's death, and this reflected a decline in political ethics in the state.
He claimed NCP leaders, including Tatkare and Praful Patel, were under pressure to remain in the BJP-led NDA due to allegations against them.
Wadettiwar reiterated the demand for an impartial inquiry into Ajit Pawar's death, saying several doubts have been raised in regard to the air crash.