Sharad Pawar Sparks NCP Reunion Rumours

It wasn’t just that Sharad Pawar, head of the Nationalist Congress Party (SP), posted on X an image of an event where he, politically estranged nephew Ajit Pawar who is now the leader of the official NCP, and daughter Supriya Sule were all standing on stage at an event last week. In a media interaction when asked whether there could be a reunification of the party, instead of denying it, he almost suggested that it was in the works. He said that it shouldn’t come as a surprise is such a coming together happened. The only rider he gave was that he wasn’t active in it and that daughter Sule national working president of the party,  would have to sort it out with her cousin.

The NCP split happened after Ajit Pawar broke away two years ago and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena to be part of the ruling alliance of Maharashtra. His stock hit a low when he got just one seat in the Lok Sabha election which had the alliance floundering in the state. People thought senior Pawar had once again pulled off one of his political masterstrokes. But then the nephew bounced right back with when his alliance got an astonishing majority in the state Assembly polls returning them to power. Ever since then, there have been periodic rumours of a reunification, but none have been as strong as with the elder Pawar’s present statement.

It has led to several senior leaders welcoming such a move. There was Chhagan Bhujbal, who is with NCP, stating the party would benefit immensely if Sharad Pawar were with them, No one had asked him to mediate, but he would if necessary. Rohit Pawar, Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew, who had stuck with him told reporters that the party would have to take a decision together. Eknath Khadse, who after leaving BJP is now a senior leader with Ajit Pawar, welcomed such a reunification and wanted it to happen before the civic polls that are slated soon. Sule herself, when asked by the media, said she would have to check with her father before doing anything.

There were no blanket denials by anyone. The NCP was always the preserve of one family and the only glue that holds the rest of the partymen together is the promise of power. With Pawar’s advancing age and the bleak possibility of any immediate path to power in the state or Centre, reunification is a powerful impetus for them. There have already been some defections to Ajit Pawar. Getting together will also mean the rest of the Pawar clan who remained with him, like his daughter, can get back into the political limelight.

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