Baramati/Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Sunetra Pawar on Wednesday evaded a direct reply to a query about the possible merger of two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions, saying things would be known at the appropriate time.
The merger buzz gained strength last week after several leaders of the Sunetra Pawar-led NCP, including Praful Patel and Parth Pawar, met NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar, who was recently hospitalised for a chest infection.
A viral video showed Sharad Pawar and Patel discussing a possible meeting after November 10.
NCP state president Sunil Tatkare also claimed last week that the merger of the two factions would have taken place in February this year had Ajit Pawar been alive.
Responding to reporters’ queries about the merger possibility here, Sunetra Pawar said, “I know all of you are more interested in a different issue at present. However, today’s subject is entirely different.
Things (about the merger) will be known when the time comes.”
She was addressing a press conference held to announce programmes marking the 151st birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda on November 15.
Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday claimed that 20 to 22 MLAs of the Sunetra Pawar-led NCP could break away.
Talking to reporters, Raut said NCP MLAs visiting NCP(SP) president Sharad Pawar were not having just casual chats, and hinted that there was more to these meetings.
He further claimed that after Ajit Pawar’s death, NCP legislators had been reduced to “being slaves” in the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti coalition.
“20 to 22 MLAs of Sunetra Pawar’s party can break away anytime….If they return to their parental home
(Sharad Pawar-led NCP), then it is not a merger. Or they may join some other party before the polls,” Raut added.
The NCP has 41 MLAs in the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. On Tuesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said the NCP merger cannot happen without consulting the BJP. To this, Raut said this was not applicable to Sharad Pawar’s party.
On the Gokul Dairy polls, Raut said the developments in the Kolhapur-based milk cooperative were detrimental to democracy.
On Fadnavis’ remark that he was backing Gokul Dairy and not any individual, Raut said in that case he would not have brought in a law to appoint four government-nominated directors.