After taking control of the party, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar may initiate talks on a possible merger of the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), according to sources.
Highly placed sources said Ajit Pawar had earlier been leading efforts for a reconciliation between his faction and that of his uncle, veteran leader Sharad Pawar, in the larger interest of both the party and the Pawar family.
However, the merger discussions reportedly lost momentum following Ajit Pawar’s sudden demise from active negotiations, after which senior leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare were seen as obstacles to any reunification effort.
“Now, both these leaders have been sidelined in the party, which has cleared the way for merger talks if they are revived. Sunetra Pawar is likely to raise the issue during the party executive meeting and try to build consensus on the decision,” a source said on condition of anonymity.
Another source claimed that Patel and Tatkare have also softened their stand on the merger issue.
“Both leaders recently met Sharad Pawar and conveyed their dissatisfaction over the way they were treated within the NCP despite being senior leaders. They also expressed displeasure over the functioning style of Ajit Pawar’s son, Parth Pawar,” the source said.
According to the source, the two leaders told Sharad Pawar that they would welcome a merger of the two NCP factions if it was pursued in the larger interest of the party.
The source added that the final decision on any merger would ultimately rest with the Pawar family.
“Sunetra Pawar and her sons will have to sit with Sharad Pawar and discuss the issue. If the Pawar family reaches a consensus, there will be little opposition within either faction,” the source said.
The source further claimed that the matter was also discussed during a recent family dinner hosted by Sharad Pawar at his residence in Pune, which was attended by Sunetra Pawar, her two sons and other members of the Pawar family.