MUMBAI: After Maharashtra NCP president Sunil Tatkare’s U-turn over the NCP merger, senior NCP Minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday claimed that former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil held a discussion about the merger in his presence, and he is an eyewitness to that development.
According to Chagan Bhujbal, the discussion between two NCP factions’ leaders took place when he was recovering from surgery. DCM Ajit Pawar and NCP SP state president Jayant Patil had visited him to inquire about his health, and during that meeting.
Bhujbal said he would be happy if both Pawar comes together and that will be real tribute to late Ajit Pawar. He praised Ajit Pawar's leadership and urged the leaders to work towards unity.
Speaking about the Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil merger meeting, NC minister Bhujbal revealed that the discussion continued for approximately 40 to 45 minutes. However, Jayant Patil reportedly raised concerns about whether the proposed merger would be acceptable to Ajit Pawar's allies, given that his faction was part of the ruling NDA alliance at the time.
Bhujbal said that Ajit Pawar was the party president and would take the necessary decision. He also pointed out that Sharad Pawar, as the founding president of the NCP, would have to be involved in the discussions. Bhujbal further said that after the demise of Ajit Pawar, no concrete progress was made for merger.
Bhujbal stressed that merger discussions should be taken collectively rather than through individual meetings and fragmented negotiations.
He said both factions should form teams and hold discussions together, rather than letting the issue become a subject of media speculation. Bhujbal also maintained that there was nothing wrong with meeting Sharad Pawar to inquire about his health.
He described Sharad Pawar and the late Balasaheb Thackeray as two important mentors in his political life and said that personal relationships should not end because of political differences.
He expressed confidence that deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar would take party leaders into confidence before making a decision on the merger issue. However, he did not indicate whether the reunited NCP would continue with the NDA or consider any other political arrangement.
Meanwhile, NCP Maharashtra president Sunil Tatkare has reacted to Bhujbal's claims, stating that the senior leader's account must be true as he was personally present during the conversation.
Tatkare confirmed that Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil had visited Bhujbal when he was unwell following his surgery. He said that if discussions about the merger took place during that meeting, Bhujbal's statement should be taken seriously.
Tatkare also made a significant political observation, saying that if Ajit Pawar were alive today, the merger would certainly have taken place on February 12. He clarified that his remark reflected the political circumstances prevailing at that time.
