NEW DELHI: Speculations are rife over a possible merger between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) after Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule hinted at a reunion in the future.This comes as both Ajit Pawar’s NCP and NCP(Sharad Pawar) decided to join hands to contest the upcoming local body elections in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune.While speaking to news agency IANS, Sule was asked whether a merger is possible between the two factions. Sule stressed that the alliance between the NCP and NCP(SP) has been formed for the upcoming local body elections in Pune. She, however, said that no decision has yet been taken on a permanent merger between the two parties.“Our alliance is formed for the Pune Municipal Corporation elections. We will see about it in the future,” Sule said.Ajit Pawar also made a similar statement, claiming that the upcoming elections are the primary focus of both parties.“We have not thought about this yet. Our primary focus is on the upcoming elections. Only after the elections will we see,” he said.Earlier Ajit Pawar had said that party workers from both sides were in favour of a union and that friction within the Pawar family had been resolved.Also read | ‘Will let you know if signal is green’: Strong buzz around merger of 2 NCPs after Ajit Pawar’s interviewOn Saturday, Ajit and his cousin Sule also shared the stage for a “common political programme” to release a combined NCP manifesto for the January 15 Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation polls.Cracks within Mahayuti alliance?Meanwhile, cracks appeared within the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis took a swipe at Ajit Pawar for criticising the BJP during the poll campaign.Speaking during an interaction with actor Girija Oak, Fadnavis said the BJP and the NCP had decided well in advance that they would not contest the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic elections as allies, since both were strong parties in the region.“Ajit dada only speaks, but my work speaks. We had already decided that even if we contest against each other, it would be a friendly contest and that we would refrain from criticising each other or each other’s parties. I have followed that rule till now, but his restraint is somewhat shaken,” Fadnavis said.However, Ajit Pawar will not “speak” after January 15, when votes will be cast, Fadnavis said, exuding confidence in the BJP’s performance.Ajit Pawar-led NCP and NCP (Sharad Pawar) have decided to join hands to contest the Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune local body elections.This comes two years after Ajit Pawar, along with a group of senior leaders, parted ways with his uncle Sharad Pawar and joined hands with the BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. He had raised objections to Sharad Pawar continuing to lead the party despite his old age.Ajit was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister under the new alliance. He favoured aligning with the ruling coalition, while Sharad Pawar’s faction insisted on remaining with the opposition.The Election Commission later recognised Ajit’s faction as the legitimate NCP, retaining the ‘clock’ symbol. Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar’s faction (NCP-SP) adopted the ‘tutari’ (curved trumpet) symbol.Both factions contested elections separately. After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, in which his faction faced setbacks, Ajit Pawar acknowledged that turning his back on his family had been a “mistake”.
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