Operation 'reunite NCP': All eyes on Supriya Sule's decision next week

Supriya Sule, the NCP (SP) MP, will take a decision on the issue of merging both factions of the NCP.

On Sunday, Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, the heads of the two rival factions, shared a stage during a seminar on artificial intelligence in Pune. After the event, the two leaders sat in private for some time. This has reignited talk in Maharashtra’s political corridors that both parties are laying the groundwork for reunification.

However, both factions have officially maintained that politics was not discussed during the meeting. Sharad Pawar’s grandson, Rohit Pawar, said that the final call would be taken by Sule after she returns from abroad.

Supriya Sule is part of an all-party Members of Parliament delegation that is touring various countries to convince local leaderships about the circumstances which compelled the Indian Army to launch “Operation Sindoor.” She is expected to return by June 5. On June 10, NCP’s foundation day will be celebrated, and it is likely that she will make her stand clear on the occasion.

Sharad Pawar, who is fighting a legal battle with his nephew Ajit Pawar over the official name of the party and the election symbol, softened his stand during an interview with an English daily last month. He said that a section of his party leaders believes his faction should reunite with the NCP led by Ajit Pawar.

However, Pawar remarked that he could not take a call on the issue, and it would be decided by next-generation leaders like Supriya Sule. Even if the two factions do not merge, there is talk that NCP (SP) is contemplating joining the NDA.

Sharad Pawar established the NCP in 1999 after breaking away from the Congress over the issue of Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin. However, his nephew revolted in July 2023 and joined hands with the BJP to become part of the Mahayuti alliance. Many Sharad Pawar loyalists, like Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Dilip Walse Patil, joined the Ajit Pawar camp.

The Election Commission and the Maharashtra assembly speaker recognized Ajit Pawar’s faction as the real NCP. The election symbol of the clock was also allotted to Ajit Pawar. Senior Pawar had to rechristen his party as NCP (SP) and adopt the Tutari as the new symbol.

It is believed that Sharad Pawar softened his stand as he did not want another revolt in his party. Moreover, throughout his political career, he has managed to keep his party in power by any means.

If a merger with Ajit Pawar’s party presents an opportunity for his faction to become part of the government at the state and central levels, Sharad Pawar is unlikely to miss it. He has already indicated support for the central government by opposing the Congress’s demand for a special session of Parliament over “Operation Sindoor.” He also lashed out at the Shiv Sena (UBT) for opposing the all-party delegations sent to various countries.

If Sharad Pawar’s faction reunites with the one headed by Ajit Pawar and joins the NDA, it would lead to an existential crisis for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and weaken the INDIA bloc. It was Sharad Pawar who played a key role in forming these alliances at the state and central levels, respectively.