Sunetra Pawar has called a meeting of NCP MLAs at her Mumbai residence amid questions over the party's leadership.
The meeting follows talks between senior NCP leaders and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, fuelling merger speculation.
The NCP has rejected claims of internal differences, while the party continues to seek the Finance portfolio.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sunetra Pawar has called a meeting of party MLAs at her official residence, Devgiri, in Mumbai on Tuesday evening, amid speculation over internal differences and a possible power struggle within the party, India Today reported.
The meeting is taking place after a gap of nearly four months. It comes amid questions over the NCP's leadership and political direction following the death of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in January.
The meeting assumes significance as several senior NCP leaders met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Sunday, triggering speculation about a possible merger between the two NCP factions. Sunetra Pawar and her sons, Parth Pawar and Jay Pawar, were absent from the meeting, prompting further questions in political circles.
Delhi Meeting Triggers Merger Speculation
The delegation that met Shah included NCP national general secretary Praful Patel, Maharashtra unit president Sunil Tatkare, Dilip Walse Patil, Hassan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde.
Several media reports suggested that the discussions centred on a possible merger of the two NCP factions. The reports also indicated that Sunetra Pawar and her son, Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar, were not part of the discussions.
The leaders returned to Mumbai on Monday and held a series of closed-door discussions at the residence of state minister Chhagan Bhujbal.
Walse Patil confirmed the delegation's return from Delhi and said the party's core group would meet before holding discussions with Sunetra Pawar.
"The core group will meet now and DCM Sunetra Pawar in the evening," Walse Patil told PTI.
NCP Rejects Claims Of Internal Differences
The party has rejected reports suggesting that Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar were sidelined during the meeting with Shah.
NCP national chief spokesperson Umesh Patil described the claims as "incorrect, baseless and misleading". He said Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar had earlier met the Union Home Minister and held detailed discussions on various issues concerning the party following Ajit Pawar's death.
Patil said Sunetra Pawar had personally informed Shah during that meeting that a delegation of senior party leaders wanted to meet him and had requested time for the interaction.
He added that the leaders had extensive knowledge of matters from Ajit Pawar's tenure, issues concerning Maharashtra's interests and organisational matters related to the party. Sunday’s meeting, therefore, had been planned in advance, he said.
The delegation also raised constituency-related concerns and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, Patil added.
He maintained that the NCP remained united under Sunetra Pawar's leadership and continued to be an important constituent of the Mahayuti alliance. "Speculation should not be portrayed as fact," he said.
Finance Portfolio And Electoral Setback
The developments come as the NCP continues to seek the Finance portfolio, which Ajit Pawar held until his death in the plane crash in January.
The party has also suffered a setback in the recent Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, losing the Aurangabad Graduates' constituency, which it had held for 18 years.
These developments have brought renewed attention to the NCP's organisational position and its political standing within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
