NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule on Saturday said the merger discussions between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party ended for her after her cousin Ajit Pawar’s death, and she had not received any communication from the other side on the issue.
She also rejected speculation about her party joining the BJP-led NDA.
Sule’s categorical denials came amid renewed buzz about the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and the NCP headed by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar reuniting. “When my brother (then NCP chief Ajit Pawar) was alive, there were discussions about a merger. A date had also been decided. But the day my brother passed away, the merger issue came to a full stop for me and within our party,” Sule told reporters. “There has been no discussion on joining the NDA. When there has been no beginning, where does the question of a full stop arise?” she said when asked if she had also “put a full stop” to the talk of her party joining the ruling alliance at the Centre. Her party had not made any statement on the merger issue following Ajit Pawar’s death, nor had it countered any statements made by the other faction, the Baramati MP said. “No spokesperson from our side has spoken on this issue in the last several months,” she said.
“Not a single phone call, WhatsApp message, SMS, letter or email has come to me from anyone in the Ajit Pawar faction regarding a merger. Nobody has contacted me. No one has met me regarding this,” Sule added. Her relations with Ajit Pawar were rooted in affection rather than in political considerations, she said.
“For you, this may be a discussion or gossip. For us, these are emotions. Some things are done from the heart. My relationship with my brother was that of love and affection. He is no longer here. What is the point of discussing it now?” Sule said.
Asked whether discussions could take place with Ajit Pawar’s family (including his wife Sunetra Pawar), Sule said personal relationships should not be mixed with politics.
Sule also said she would not comment on statements made by senior leaders of the Ajit Pawar faction, including Chhagan Bhujbal, Sunil Tatkare, Praful Patel and Hasan Mushrif.
“These are senior leaders who have worked with my father. I am much younger than them in age and experience. The values my parents taught me are that one should not speak disrespectfully about people who are older or more experienced,” she said.
Expressing frustration over repeated questions about a merger, Sule urged the media to focus on substantive policy issues and hold political leaders accountable, adding that she was “already bored with the subject”.
“There are several important issues facing the country and the world. There are serious policy-making issues that need to be discussed. The FCRA Bill, One Nation, One Election and several other important issues are before us. We should be discussing these issues,” she said.
On her meetings with senior NCP leader Praful Patel, Sule said they met in connection with parliamentary committee work.
“I am a member of the Finance Committee and he is also involved in committee work. We also meet in connection with the JPC on the FCRA. These are institutional meetings, not political discussions,” she said.