Supriya Sule puts an end to speculation over merger of two NCP factions

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) Working President Supriya Sule put an end to political speculation regarding the possibility of a merger between the two NCP factions on Saturday. Ms. Sule said that talks were ongoing for the reunification of both groups as long as her cousin and late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was alive, and dates had even been fixed for it, but the proposal for merger came to an end forever on the day her brother passed away. Responding to the ongoing debate in Maharashtra's political circles about the merger between the two factions, she said that the initiative to unite both groups was not part of any political opportunism, but the result of discussions within the family and the party. She said, 'The talks were certainly ongoing and dates were fixed when my brother was with us, but the day my brother passed away, this merger stopped forever in my heart, soul, and our party'.

Ms. Sule said that her group has remained completely silent on this issue for the past few months, neither fueling public speculation nor reacting to statements from the other faction. The NCP (SP) MP urged the media and political circles to move beyond continuous speculation and focus on the serious issues facing the country. "If you want to ask me a question, ask about the serious challenges of inflation, fluctuations in global fuel prices, the impact of political changes in the US, or important policy frameworks like 'One Nation, One Election'." "I would really be happy to talk about these burning issues."

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut dismissed speculation on Sunday about a possible merger between the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), calling such reports "fictional stories like a Salim Javed film script". Mr. Raut, speaking to reporters here, claimed that the NCP faction is working under the influence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and also stated that Sharad Pawar will never form an alliance with them. "The other NCP faction is actually Amit Shah's faction, and Sharad Pawar will never go with them," Mr. Raut said. He dismissed reports that recent talks between NCP leaders indicated progress towards a merger. Mr. Raut pointed out that 40-45 members regularly sit together during parliamentary committee meetings chaired by Amit Shah to discuss official matters.

He said, "Only 40-45 members sitting together from 11 am to 5 pm to discuss the official agenda under Amit Shah's leadership does not mean that the party is in talks for a merger." Mr. Raut said that such meetings should not be interpreted as a sign of any political reconciliation or merger between the two factions. He alleged that speculation about the merger is being deliberately fueled to create confusion in the Maha Vikas Aghadi.