NCP working president Praful Patel meets NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai’s Breach Candy hospital on Thursday
Had he been alive, the merger would have taken place on Feb 12,” Tatkare said. The rift within NCP surfaced after a group of senior party members, including Rajya Sabha member and NCP national working president Praful Patel, state president Sunil Tatkare, ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, former ministers Dilip Walse Patil and Dhananjay Munde, and former MLA Samir Bhujbal, met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi without Sunetra and Parth on Nov 1.
It appears that they are facing internal problems within their party,” he said. Another NCP senior said, “Before initiating the merger talks, there has to be clarity on two crucial issues: which political alliance the reunited party would align with and who would lead it. He was expected to lead the reunited party and both groups were in agreement with it, according to NCP members. However, the situation is different now,” an NCP lawmaker said.
Pune: Upset with the functioning of NCP chief Sunetra Pawar’s elder son Parth Pawar, a group of party seniors are exploring the possibility of reviving merger talks with NCP (SP) after three rounds of meetings this week failed to ease tension within its top leadership. “When the merger talks were on, Ajit Dada had shared details with me. I do not understand what has changed for them to alter their stand. This statement clearly suggests that his remarks are politically motivated. Speculation about the possible resumption of merger talks intensified amid growing tension within NCP’s top leadership. Talks can resume only after these questions are answered. When Ajit Pawar was alive, the merger talks had reportedly reached an advanced stage. “We were already working under his (Ajit Pawar’s) leadership and had no problem continuing to work with him after the merger.
Though NCP state president Sunil Tatkare on Friday said no meeting with NCP (SP) leaders has been scheduled, he admitted that the reunification was a part of late Ajit Pawar’s plan.
The question is if they are willing to come forward and initiate the discussion,” NCP (SP) state president Shashikant Shinde said. Amid all this, NCP (SP) appears to have adopted a cautious stance on the merger issue. “We had taken the initiative and were prepared for a merger, but did not receive the response we expected. There is no point in merely holding discussions. Pawar Saheb has made it clear that those interested in talks should approach us.