With speculations rife that the Shiv Sena (UBT) is heading for another split, a sense of panic has spread in the Sharad Pawar-led NCP camp, prompting the senior leader to convene a meeting of MPs, according to reports. NCP-SP currently has a total of 9 MPs, including eight in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha.
The meeting is likely to be held in the next two days and is aimed at reviewing the current political situation and directly communicating with the party MPs, according to local media reports.
Though Pawar himself is yet to openly react to the current developments within the Shiv Sena (UBT), which saw at least six MPs meet with Speaker Om Birla and submit a letter stating that they are forming an independent group, Pawar's grandson and MLA Rohit Pawar took to X to hit out at the MPs.
“Middle-class people are losing their jobs, young people are deprived of employment, and serious questions are being raised about the safety of women. The health system is in a shambles. Farmers are suffering due to the effects of El Niño and poor rainfall, and there is a drinking water crisis. Meanwhile, the market for buying and selling MPs and MLAs is thriving,” he wrote.
Rohit added, “Shame on both the splitter and the one who broke it. The people should teach a lesson in a democratic manner to those who betray the public's trust; this is the need of the hour."
Interestingly, speculation is rife about a possible merger of NCP (SP) with the Congress. A week ago, Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole claimed that the proposal for a merger with the NCP had already been made by Sharad Pawar, and the decision on that was delayed due to certain reasons.
Patole was urgently summoned to Delhi by the Congress high command. But the Sharad Pawar faction denied the merger reports.
