'No permanent enemies in politics': Ajit Pawar rules out merger talks with uncle but keeps options open

Ajit Pawar with uncle Sharad Pawar.

Years after Ajit Pawar decided to vertically split the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and join hands with BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra, there are now strong speculations about a reunion with his uncle and founder of NCP, Sharad Pawar.

In this poll season, Ajit Pawar has taken the help of rival NCP (SP) faction to counter the ruling ally BJP in the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporation elections, making it one of the most high-profile electoral battles in these elections.

During an interview with The Times of India, Ajit Pawar ruled out holding merger talks with his uncle but left the door open. "There has been no discussion with Pawar Saheb at all. However, I want to make it clear that there are no permanent enemies in politics."

"People can make whatever inferences they want from my statement. All I want to say is that I am a follower of Yashwantrao Chavan and I believe in the politics of addition, not subtraction," he told TOI.

Ajit Pawar jumped the boat in July 2023 with several NCP MLAs and joined BJP-led state government in Maharashtra as Deputy Chief Minister. Now, after months of acrimony that spilled into Lok Sabha and assembly campaigns last year, the two NCP factions joined hands for key civic polls in Pune and neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad.

However, when asked whether this alliance would extend beyond the civic polls, Ajit Pawar said no decision had been taken but acknowledged its immediate impact.

'No match-fixing'

Ajit Pawar was also questioned about why his party did not contest the civic polls in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad with the BJP. During an interview with the Hindustan Times, Pawar said, "The BJP is trying to expand its party and I am doing the same with my party. There is no match-fixing or adjustment."

"It was the BJP's decision to contest separately. They believed that since they had won many seats, there was no need to leave them for alliance partners. They also backed out of alliance talks with Eknath Shinde at the last moment. Otherwise, both NCP factions would have aligned with the Shiv Sena for both municipal corporations. However, we have teamed up for two wards in Pune," he told HT.