Sharad Pawar's Party, Congress Merger Talks Positive, In Final Stages: Sources

The talks about a possible merger between Sharad Pawar's party and Congress are underway, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar has confirmed to NDTV. 

"The talks with the High Command are on for a merger," Congress' Vijay Wadettiwar, a former leader of Opposition in Maharashtra, said.

"Those who subscribe to the secular ideals of the Congress and Sharad Pawar are always welcome in our party," he added. 

Sharad Pawar broke away from the Congress and formed the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in 1999. In 2023, Sharad Pawar's nephew, Ajit Pawar, did the same to him by splitting his NCP. Ajit Pawar led a faction of MLAs to join the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra, dividing the regional political party into two distinct factions.   

Talks of a possible merger with the Congress come amid recent political setbacks for regional satraps like Mamata Banerjee and Uddhav Thackeray, whose MPs recently decided to form separate groups, leaving their parent parties. 

According to sources, discussions at the senior leadership level in New Delhi over a merger of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP with the Congress are now in the final stages and have progressed positively. 

Sources also claim that the Congress leadership has given the green signal for NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLAs and MPs who are willing to join the Congress.

Eighty five-year-old Sharad Pawar and his party is understood to be witnessing two distinct schools of thought over its political future, according to sources.

One section of the party is said to favour joining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), arguing that the party's parliamentary strength could help it secure a place as an NDA constituent. 

Leaders in this camp are also said to believe that being in the Opposition has made it difficult to get development works and constituency-related issues addressed at both the state and central levels.

Sources further claim that the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had favoured remaining with the NDA in the event of a reunion of the two NCP factions, as he was already part of the alliance. 

While the possibility of reunification has reportedly receded following his death, this section of the party believes there would be no obstacle to joining the NDA independently.

A second faction within the party, however, is said to favour merging with the Congress.