4 minutes of readingPuneUpdated: Feb 1, 2026 09:52 pm IST
Even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed allegations of a possible merger of two factions of the NCP, NCP state president Sunil Tatkare said he never opposed the merger and at the same time said that they would remain in the NDA while sticking to the Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar ideology.
“We are part of the NDA and we will remain in the NDA. NDA stands for BJP and its allies. Ajitdada consciously took the decision to join the NDA and the people of Maharashtra accepted it and ensured the victory of our 41 MLAs,” Tatkare said.
On the other hand, Fadnavis said, “If Ajit Pawar was holding talks with NCP (SP) about the merger, he would not have informed us. Ajit Pawar used to share everything with me.”
Tatkare said they will remain in the NDA and those who approve their decision will come forward. “We decided to follow the NDA and stick with it. We follow the ideology of Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar. We believe in a progressive mindset. If it is acceptable to them (Sharad Pawar’s party), then they have to come forward…,” he said.
Asked if NCP was putting conditions on the merger, Tatkare said: “Who am I to put conditions? I didn’t say anything was conditional. I said we are part of the NDA and we will remain part of the NDA.”
When asked what will happen with the possible merger, Tatkare said: “They (NCP-SP) will have to talk about it. They are already talking about the merger and what was decided.”
However, Tatkare claimed that he never opposed the merger and said, “I never said anything about the merger… It is constantly said that we oppose the merger… Why is the issue of merger being discussed immediately after the funeral? Those who started it should be asked why they did it.”
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Tatkare said his loyalty was with Ajitdada. “In 2014, Sharad Pawar appointed me as the state NCP president. And I proved my capability as the then undivided NCP. Some others were also made presidents, but not all of them could prove their capability,” he said.
On the other hand, NCP (SP) state president Shashikant Shinde said, “Ever since it was decided to merge, we had fielded all our candidates on the NCP ‘clock’ symbol. Otherwise, we would not have taken such a decision. During our meeting with Ajit Pawar, we asked him if he had discussed other issues and allies. Ajit Pawar said that he had also discussed the issue with the Chief Minister. The CM said that the issue of merger can be discussed after the Zilla elections. Parishad. I cannot give proof, but I cannot lie when it comes to Ajit Pawar.”
Anna Bansode, Deputy Speaker of the Assembly and a close aide of Ajit Pawar, said, “Everyone knew about the merger of NCP factions. The discussion on merger went on for three-four months. I think Sunil Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal and Praful Patel knew about the merger of two NCPs. If the two NCPs come together, the party workers will get new energy. Maharashtra’s progress will accelerate. There was no opposition to the merger of the two NCPs.”
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said, “I was constantly part of the discussion on the issue of merger with Ajit Pawar. I will reveal everything after 13 days. I will hold a press conference and talk about it. It is not the right time to talk about politics. Let it end on the 13th day of Ajitdada’s death.”
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