Praful Patel met Sharad Pawar in hospital, while Parth Pawar visited him twice in two days, bringing the possibility of an NCP reunion back into focus.
Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare said the merger would have been formalised on February 12 had Ajit Pawar been alive.
Both NCP factions deny that merger talks are currently underway. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat’s claim that the process was in its final stages triggered a public rebuttal from NCP spokesperson Umesh Patil.
A hospital meeting between NCP leader Praful Patel and Sharad Pawar, two visits by Parth Pawar to his granduncle in as many days, and a senior NCP delegation’s meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah have revived speculation about a reunion of the two Nationalist Congress Party factions.
The flurry of activity comes months after the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) said merger discussions were over. Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare has since said the reunification would have been formalised on February 12 had Ajit Pawar been alive. But leaders from both factions have denied that fresh talks are underway.
The question gained another political edge when Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat said the merger was in its “final stages”. NCP spokesperson Umesh Patil hit back, asking why Shirsat was commenting on the party’s internal affairs and challenging the two Shiv Sena factions to consider merging.
Hospital Visit And Meetings Draw Attention
The latest speculation began after Patel, the NCP’s national working president, met Sharad Pawar at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital, where the NCP (SP) chief was being treated for a chest and respiratory infection.
A video of the interaction circulated on social media. Sharad Pawar appeared to suggest that the two sit together after November 10. Patel replied that he would be back in Mumbai by then.
Patel said he had visited to enquire about Pawar’s health and that their personal and family ties had continued despite their political differences. He maintained there had been no detailed political discussion at the hospital, which was not an appropriate place for one. He said he would try to meet Pawar again after returning to Mumbai.
The meeting followed a Delhi visit by a group of senior NCP leaders to meet Shah. The delegation included Patel, Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dilip Walse Patil and Dhananjay Munde. Sunetra Pawar and her son Parth were not part of it.
The Indian Express, citing sources, reported that the leaders discussed bringing the two NCP factions together and aligning a reunited party with the BJP-led NDA. Reports also said some leaders had raised concerns about the party’s functioning under Sunetra Pawar and Parth’s growing influence.
The NCP described the Delhi meeting as pre-planned and said it was called to discuss party matters following Ajit Pawar’s death. Spokesperson Umesh Patil rejected suggestions that it reflected a lack of coordination within the leadership.
Parth visited Sharad Pawar at his Silver Oak residence on two consecutive days. The ruling NCP said the visits were family interactions. The Indian Express reported that the family had decided against Diwali celebrations this year in view of the drought and Ajit Pawar’s death, and that Parth had attended a family lunch.
Tatkare Says Merger Was Planned For February
Tatkare’s remarks offered the clearest acknowledgment from the ruling NCP that merger discussions had taken place. He said the factions would have reunited on February 12 if Ajit Pawar had been alive.
“Ajit dada had told me about the merger discussions and how they would be finalised,” Tatkare said, according to PTI.
The statement renewed questions about how far the discussions had progressed. The ruling NCP had previously denied that negotiations were underway.
Patel has sought to separate his hospital visit from the merger speculation. Speaking to The New Indian Express, he said it was not meant for political discussions. The Times of India reported that he acknowledged a brief conversation about political developments but said there had been no detailed discussion.
Both Factions Deny Current Talks
The ruling NCP has rejected claims that a reunion is imminent. “There is no talk of merger within the NCP. It is not even discussed. It is insensitive to even discuss such political moves while Sharad Pawar ji is recovering,” Patil told The Indian Express.
He described the reports as hearsay and said Parth’s visits were family matters.
The NCP (SP) has also played down the speculation. After Parth’s second visit, Sharad Pawar met senior party leaders, including Jayant Patil, Shashikant Shinde, Amol Kolhe, Anil Deshmukh and Jitendra Awhad. The meeting lasted nearly three hours. Kolhe and Awhad said it was to enquire about Pawar’s health and that no merger was discussed.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has said the question had not been discussed within his party. In May, Shinde said the merger issue had been closed and the faction would focus on strengthening its organisation as an opposition force. Supriya Sule and Jayant Patil had also said the party had moved on.
Shirsat’s Claim Sparks A Row
Against this backdrop, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat said on Diwali that a merger between the Sunetra Pawar-led NCP and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) was in its final stages, with leaders’ roles expected to be settled soon. He pointed to Parth’s meetings with Sharad Pawar.
Patil responded by asking why Shirsat was commenting on the NCP’s affairs. He questioned whether the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) could merge, and who would lead a combined party.
“If the two decide to merge, who will be the president? Will it be Uddhav Thackeray or Eknath Shinde?” Patil said. He added: “Who has given Shirsat the right to speak about our party? Do we ever speak about the Shiv Sena? Why is Shirsat worried about our merger?”
The exchange has added tension within the Mahayuti, whose partners recently traded accusations over the defeat of the alliance’s candidate in the Pune Legislative Council election. The BJP blamed the Shinde-led Sena, while Sena leaders criticised the BJP for fielding the candidate.
How The NCP Split
Sharad Pawar founded the NCP in 1999 with PA Sangma and Tariq Anwar after the three were expelled from the Congress. They had opposed Sonia Gandhi’s elevation as Congress president, citing her foreign origin. The NCP later became a major force in Maharashtra and a Congress ally, including in the United Progressive Alliance government.
The party split on July 2, 2023, when Ajit Pawar joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government with several MLAs and took oath as deputy chief minister. He subsequently claimed the NCP name and clock symbol, arguing that he had the support of a majority of legislators.
In February 2024, the Election Commission recognised Ajit Pawar’s group as the NCP and allotted it the party name and clock symbol. Sharad Pawar’s faction became the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, or NCP (SP), and later received the “man blowing turha” symbol.
Ajit Pawar’s faction joined the BJP-led Mahayuti government, while the NCP (SP) remained in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi with the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT).
Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28, 2026. His wife, Sunetra Pawar, subsequently took charge of the NCP and became deputy chief minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government. The factions gave differing accounts of the merger discussions after his death, and Tatkare’s recent remarks have brought those negotiations back into focus.
