NCP legislators back merger with NCP (SP)

Two months after the tragic death of then deputy chief minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in Baramati, two NCP leaders have voiced support for the merger of the party, now headed by Sunetra Pawar, with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).

Immediately after Ajit Pawar’s demise on January 28, senior NCP (SP) leaders had claimed that a merger was in the works before the senior leader died. Leaders of the NCP had then dismissed the claim, saying no such decision was taken.

“If both the parties are to come together and the NCP is to grow under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, the time has not passed yet,” said Sunil Shelke, NCP MLA from Maval.

Shelke, who was considered a staunch loyalist of Ajit Pawar, was supported by the deputy speaker of the legislative assembly, Anna Bansode.

“Leaders at the State level and district levels think that if two parties unite under the leadership of Sunetravahini, it will be good for all,” said Bansode, NCP MLA from Pimpri.

The remarks by the two NCP leaders on Sunday came amid a row over photographs of Ajit Pawar and his wife and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar missing from the banner of a party event in Raigad district attended by State NCP president Sunil Tatkare.

A felicitation ceremony for the newly-elected members of the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti was organized at Indapur in Raigad district on March 27 in NCP minister Aditi Tatkare’s constituency. She is the daughter of Sunil Tatkare.

Some NCP (SP) legislators pointed out that while photos of Ajit Pawar and party president Sunetra Pawar were missing from the banner put up on the stage, it had photos of Sunil Tatkare, Aditi Tatkare, and her brother Aniket Tatkare.

Responding to the allegations, Aditi Tatkare said local party workers organise programmes at the grassroots level. “In one such programme at the gram panchayat level, there was no photo of our late leader Ajitdada Pawar as well as Sunetrakaki, and regarding this, I express my regret.”

“Whether it is Ajitdada or Sunetrakaki, their place in our hearts is unshakeable. One should not judge the loyalty of all of us workers based on the photo on the banner,” she said.

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who raised the issue of the missing photos, recently alleged that Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel were trying to wrest control of the NCP from his aunt Sunetra Pawar.

The NCP leaders had dismissed the claim as “crocodile tears” and advised Rohit Pawar to concentrate on his own party.