MUMBAI: The BJP is weighing a political gamble that could further reshape Maharashtra's political landscape as it seeks to bring the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) into the NDA while reuniting the two NCP factions.
Against this backdrop, Jayant Patil, a close confidant of Pawar, had been tasked with negotiating the NCP (SP)'s entry into the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) while reviving talks on a merger with the rival NCP faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar.
Patil's recent meetings with BJP general secretary Vinod Tawade, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have fuelled speculation that the realignment is gathering pace, despite resistance from Sunetra's camp.
Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat claimed that the political future of the Sharad Pawar-led party would become clear within the next eight days.
Sources said Patil has reportedly been entrusted with negotiating the terms of a possible alliance with the BJP and exploring the framework for a merger between the two NCP factions.
As part of the exercise, Patil first met Tawade and later CM Fadnavis to understand how the proposed political realignment could be executed. He also met NCP state president Sunil Tatkare and NCP working president Praful Patel at the chief minister's official residence, Varsha bungalow, where the proposed merger and the roles of key leaders were discussed.
According to sources, Patil and NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad are likely to be inducted as cabinet ministers in Maharashtra, while the party's Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule and Praful Patel, a Rajya Sabha member, could be accommodated as cabinet ministers in the Union government.
Catch-22 situation for BJP
However, sources said the proposed merger has placed the BJP in a difficult position because of resistance from within Ajit Pawar's camp.
"The BJP has given the green signal, but NCP national president Sunetra Pawar has raised the red flag, saying that it will end their authority over the party and their career as well. They conveyed that once again Sharad Pawar and his daughter will control the party that was given to Ajit Pawar because he rebelled against Sharad Pawar," a source told TNIE.
"BJP had promised them that the party will remain with the Ajit Pawar family only, but the current merger talk will jeopardise the career of mother Sunetra Pawar and her two sons, Parth and Jay Pawar. Therefore, Sunetra Pawar is not in favour of the merger," the source added.
Meanwhile, sources added that the BJP is also assessing the political costs and benefits of the proposed merger.
They added that the opinions of MLAs and MPs from both factions were being sought to determine whether they preferred Sunetra and her two sons, Parth and Jay, or the father-daughter duo of Pawar and Sule.
"BJP is facing a Lok Jan Shakti party-like situation where they first sidelined Ramvilas Paswan's son Chirag Paswan, and gave the party to his uncle. When they realized their blunder, they did course correction. The merger of both NCP factions is kind of course correction for the BJP," souces said.