Triggering speculations, senior leaders of both NCP factions reportedly held a secret meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his official residence ‘Varsha’ on Tuesday night. The meeting was attended by NCP (Sharad Pawar) state president Jayant Patil and NCP Ajit Pawar faction state presidents Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel.
The meeting came amid rumours that the NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction could join hands with the NDA and that the two NCP factions could merge.
The meeting lasted approximately one-and-a-half hours, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reportedly discussing current political developments in the state and various issues. Though there is no official confirmation of what happened during the meeting, local media reports suggest that a potential merger between the NCP factions was discussed. The NCP split in 2023, with Ajit Pawar breaking the party to join the NDA. Though there
According to reports, the meeting discussed a potential merger between the two factions of the NCP at a preliminary level. In 2023, the NCP split into two factions with a group of MLAs led by Pawar joining the NDA. Subsequently, speculation about the two factions reuniting surfaced several times, including after Ajit Pawar’s death. Though both the factions have denied any sort of reconciliation, the meeting at ‘Varsha’ has gained momentum once again.
There are also reports that a separate meeting was held between the three NCP leaders before the Chief Minister's visit.
Though no official statement has been issued by the Chief Minister's Office, Jayant Patil has reacted to the stir in political circles after this midnight meeting. He claimed that no political meeting was held with Tatkare and Patel. “I never met with Praful Patel or Sunil Tatkare. I went to 'Varsha' at 10:30 pm to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding the disqualification of the mayor of Islampur Municipality. I left five minutes later after discussions with the Chief Minister. I had no idea that Tatkare and Patel were present there,” he added.
Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut also reacted to the reports of the meeting, stating that the “information was wrong”.
”Jayant Patil did meet the Chief Minister last night, but that was a different matter. The local Collector had declared a duly elected municipal council president from his constituency disqualified, which was an illegal action. Jayant Patil had met the Chief Minister last night specifically to discuss this particular issue,” Raut said.
Despite Patil’s statement, the meeting could be indicative of the current crisis in the Pawar faction. Local media reports hint that at least 5 out of 10 MLAs from Sharad Pawar's party are keen to join the BJP-led grand alliance. The MLAs say that being in the Opposition has made it difficult for them to get funds and administrative clearances for development works in their constituencies.
Jayant Patil had recently expressed this sentiment of the MLAs to Sharad Pawar. He had indicated that a large group in the party was in favour of joining the BJP. However, Sharad Pawar has still maintained silence on these developments, according to unconfirmed reports.
