Late-night meetings between Jayant Patil, Devendra Fadnavis and senior ruling NCP leaders have reignited speculation over the NCP (SP)'s future political alignment.
Reports suggest a section of the Sharad Pawar-led party's MLAs favour joining the BJP-led NDA, though the party has made no official announcement.
Any alliance with the NDA could strengthen the ruling coalition's numbers in Parliament, making the NCP (SP)'s eight Lok Sabha MPs politically significant.
Late-night meetings between leaders from both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday have reignited speculation over Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP)'s political future. The meetings come amid growing chatter over whether the party could move closer to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), even as both NCP factions face internal political challenges.
While no official details of the discussions have been made public, the timing has fuelled fresh debate over whether Maharashtra's political landscape could be headed for another realignment.
Why are rumours of an NDA shift resurfacing?
According to The Indian Express, NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil first met Sharad Pawar at his Mumbai residence, Silver Oak, before meeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis later in the evening. Separately, senior leaders from the ruling Ajit Pawar-led NCP, Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel, also met Fadnavis.
Neither the leaders involved nor the Chief Minister's Office commented on the purpose of the meetings, while sources in both NCP factions said they were unaware of the agenda.
The meetings come as the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) faces what many within the party describe as its biggest strategic dilemma since Ajit Pawar split the undivided NCP and joined the BJP-led Mahayuti government in July 2023.
According to The Indian Express, at least half of the NCP (SP)'s 10 MLAs are believed to favour joining the NDA. They have reportedly argued that remaining in the Opposition has made it increasingly difficult to secure development funds and administrative approvals for their constituencies.
The speculation has intensified in recent weeks after discussions around a possible merger between the NCP (SP) and the Congress reportedly failed to gather momentum. Attention has now shifted towards the possibility of at least a section of the party aligning with the NDA.
What has the NCP (SP) officially said?
So far, the Sharad Pawar-led party has not announced any decision regarding its future political alignment.
Jayant Patil had recently informed party legislators that a sizeable section of the MLAs was inclined towards joining the NDA. However, Sharad Pawar has remained publicly silent on the matter and has not indicated the party's next move.
The political churn is also affecting the ruling Ajit Pawar-led NCP. According to The Indian Express, discussions within the party have intensified after the NCP (SP) openly explored options ranging from a merger with the Congress to an understanding with the NDA, without first pursuing reconciliation between the two NCP factions.
Meanwhile, the ruling NCP is also dealing with internal developments. On Monday, former NCP national secretary Sachchidanand Singh issued a legal notice challenging Sunetra Pawar's election as the party president, alleging irregularities in the organisational poll process.
State NCP president Sunil Tatkare dismissed the allegations as "baseless", maintained that the party remained united behind Sunetra Pawar's leadership and said a core committee would decide the legal response.
What would an NCP (SP)-NDA alliance mean?
Although the NCP (SP) has only 10 MLAs in the Maharashtra Assembly, it also has eight Lok Sabha MPs, giving it importance beyond its size.
According to The Indian Express, the BJP-led NDA is looking to strengthen its numbers in Parliament ahead of key legislation, including the proposed delimitation Bill. Party leaders believe the alliance would be open to support from smaller parties such as the NCP (SP).
Additionally, Congress leader P Chidambaram claimed that the BJP is wooing the NCP (SP) and the DMK to get their support for the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill which the government intends to bring in the Monsoon session of Parliament and urged the two regional parties to not support the Bill.
"After splitting the TMC, the BJP is reportedly wooing the NCP(SP) and the DMK to garner the crucial votes to support the new version of the failed Bill," he said.
The latest developments mark another chapter in the shifting political equations that have followed the NCP split in 2023. Earlier this year, speculation had centred on a possible reunion between the Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar factions. More recently, attention shifted to a potential merger with the Congress before fresh reports suggested that an understanding with the NDA could instead emerge.
For now, with no official confirmation from Sharad Pawar or the NCP (SP), the late-night meetings have only added to the uncertainty surrounding the party's next political move.
