To mark NCP Foundation Day, rival factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will hold separate gatherings in Pune on June 10 amid growing buzz over a reunion. Despite frequent meetings between their top leaders, both sides denied the speculations, insisting there was no such proposal on the table.
Maharashtra NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) president Jayant Patil clarified that talk about both the factions coming together was “only in the air”, and there has been no formal discussion on a possible reunion yet. However, he expressed the possibility of more clarity post the Foundation Day programme.
Talking to PTI, Patil stated, “On June 10, we will celebrate the 26th year of the foundation of our party. It is our Foundation Day, and there is no formal talk of a reunion between the two factions. The buzz is only in the air. But I think there is a possibility of clarity on the issue after the Foundation Day programme.”
Sharing details about the gathering, he added, “Apart from Pawar Saheb (NCP-SP president Sharad Pawar), four to five prominent office-bearers will speak at the gathering.”
According to PTI, Sharad Pawar will address workers and office-bearers of the opposition party at the function in the morning. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who heads the ruling NCP, will participate in the Foundation Day programme of his faction the same evening in Pune.
On the other hand, State NCP president Sunil Tatkare also clarified that there was no proposal or discussion on a merger or alliance between the two groups.
Frequent meetings between Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar at public and private events have fuelled speculations about the factions reuniting after a split in the party in July 2023. But there is no official confirmation as of now.
Both NCP and NCP (SP) have chosen Pune, the home turf of the Pawar family, for their Foundation Day festivities. While Sharad Pawar’s address to his supporters will take place at Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir in Shivaji Nagar, Ajit Pawar will be speaking at his party`s event at Shree Chhatrapati Shivaji Sports Complex in Balewadi.
Furthermore, according to political observers, party workers are expecting clarity and future roadmaps for their respective factions from the top leadership.
The NCP was founded on June 10, 1999, after Sharad Pawar, P. A. Sangma, and Tariq Anwar were expelled from the Indian National Congress for questioning party head Sonia Gandhi`s foreign origin.
While Sangma passed away in 2016, Anwar rejoined the Congress. The NCP eventually joined forces with the Congress to establish a coalition government in Maharashtra, where they held power for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2014.
In 2019, the NCP and the Congress joined hands with the united Shiv Sena and formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which collapsed in June 2022.
In 2023, Ajit Pawar, who was then in the opposition, joined the governing BJP-Shiv Sena coalition after securing the support of majority of NCP legislators, and was appointed deputy chief minister.
Following the 2024 assembly elections, in which the BJP-led Mahayuti secured a resounding majority, Ajit Pawar was appointed as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ second deputy.
The postponed local body elections, likely to take place later this year, can be tricky for the parties with much at stake for both the Mahayuti alliance, which won the 2024 assembly elections, and the opposition MVA, which suffered a defeat in November last year.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the NCP (SP) did well in Maharashtra, winning eight of the ten Lok Sabha seats it ran for. On the other hand, the ruling coalition partner NCP won only one seat.
But the tables turned in the assembly polls held six months later, where the NCP won 41 seats in the 288-member assembly, while the NCP (SP) won only 10.
(With PTI inputs)
