NCP Merger Stalled? Sunetra, Parth Pawar’s Stand Clouds Talk

Differences over leadership, Parth Pawar’s growing role and the BJP’s push to widen the NDA have complicated efforts to bring the two Nationalist Congress Party factions back together.

Efforts to reunite the two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions have run into hurdles. Reports cite differences over who would lead a merged party, the growing influence of Parth Pawar and reservations on the part of party chief Sunetra Pawar, along with the BJP’s wider political calculations. Leaders on both sides say no merger talks are under way.

The Latest Moves

Speculation picked up in the first week of November after a series of meetings. NCP working president Praful Patel 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 meeting circulated on social media, in which Pawar appeared to suggest that the two sit together after November 10. Patel said he had gone only to ask after Pawar’s health and that their personal and family ties continued despite political differences.

Parth Pawar, the Rajya Sabha MP and son of Sunetra Pawar and the late Ajit Pawar, also visited his granduncle at the Silver Oak residence on two consecutive days. The ruling NCP said these were family visits. Sharad Pawar then met senior NCP (SP) leaders, including Jayant Patil, Amol Kolhe, Anil Deshmukh and Jitendra Awhad, for nearly three hours. Two of them said the meeting was held to enquire about his health and that no merger was discussed.

Before this, a delegation of senior NCP leaders met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. It included Patel, state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dilip Walse Patil and Dhananjay Munde. Sunetra Pawar and Parth were not part of the delegation. The party said the meeting was pre-planned and called to discuss party matters following Ajit Pawar’s death.

Where the Differences Lie

According to reports citing party sources, the delegation discussed bringing the two factions together and aligning a united party with the BJP-led NDA. The same reports said some leaders had raised concerns about how the party was functioning under Sunetra Pawar, and about Parth’s growing influence.

Other reports, citing a close aide to Sunetra Pawar, say that she and Parth are reluctant about a merger because they do not want Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule to regain control of the party. Reports also say that if a merger became unavoidable, they would want Sunetra Pawar to keep her post as Deputy Chief Minister, her state government portfolio and the NCP national president’s post. One report said Parth could be proposed as the merged party’s point person within the NDA, a suggestion that the Sharad Pawar camp was unlikely to accept.

A section of the party has defended Parth. NCP vice-president Udaykumar Aher reportedly wrote a letter to Sunetra Pawar defending the 38-year-old Parth against claims of political immaturity. The NCP leadership has not confirmed any of these accounts.

The BJP’s Calculations

Reports say the BJP is keen on a reunion because it would strengthen the NDA’s numbers in Parliament, including for constitutional amendment bills that need larger majorities. It has also reportedly considered offering Union Cabinet berths to a united NCP, although reports differ on how many. The Sunetra Pawar-led NCP is already an NDA partner and part of the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, while the NCP (SP) is in the opposition INDIA bloc.

Some reports say a large section of the NCP (SP)’s legislators favour joining the NDA, while others say the Sharad Pawar camp has not decided on a merger or on joining the NDA. Sharad Pawar himself has said in the past that a post-merger alliance with the BJP was not discussed in earlier talks between Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil. The NCP (SP)’s state chief, Shashikant Shinde, said in May that the merger issue was closed and that the faction would focus on strengthening its organisation as an opposition force.

Tatkare’s Remark About February

One statement has given the speculation a factual footing. Tatkare said that the merger would have been formalised on February 12 had Ajit Pawar been alive, and that Ajit Pawar had told him about the discussions and how they would be finalised. It was the clearest acknowledgement by the ruling NCP that merger discussions had taken place. Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash at Baramati on January 28, 2026, after which Sunetra Pawar took charge of the NCP and became Deputy Chief Minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government.

Denials and a Row Within the Mahayuti

The ruling NCP has rejected the speculation. Spokesperson Umesh Patil said there is no talk of a merger and called it insensitive to discuss such moves while Sharad Pawar is recovering. The NCP (SP) has also played down the reports, with Rohit Pawar saying the matter had not been discussed in his party.

On Diwali, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat said the merger was in its final stages and that roles would be decided soon. Patil hit back, asking why Shirsat was commenting on the NCP’s affairs and challenging the two Shiv Sena factions to consider merging. The exchange has added friction in the Mahayuti, whose partners have also traded blame over the defeat of the alliance’s candidate in the Pune Legislative Council election.

Background: A Split and a Death

Sharad Pawar founded the NCP in 1999. The party split on July 2, 2023, when Ajit Pawar joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government with several MLAs and became Deputy Chief Minister. The Election Commission later recognised his group as the NCP and gave it the clock symbol, while Sharad Pawar’s faction became the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). After Ajit Pawar’s death, Sharad Pawar said that the discussions between the two parties were on hold.

What to Watch Next

The next developments will include whether Patel and Sharad Pawar meet again after November 10, as the video suggested, how Pawar’s health progresses, and whether the BJP leadership steps up its efforts. It remains to be seen whether Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar publicly state a position on a merger. Until then, the only confirmed positions are the denials from both parties.