Shirsat, a leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, said on Sunday that political developments appeared to be in their final stages and the future responsibilities of prominent figures would soon become clear. His comments followed visits by leaders of the ruling NCP to the veteran politician.
On Monday, NCP spokesperson Umesh Patil challenged Shirsat’s intervention, questioning why a Shiv Sena minister was commenting on another party’s internal affairs. Patil said the two Shiv Sena factions should address their own differences before raising the possibility of an NCP reunion.
The ruling NCP has denied that merger negotiations are currently taking place. Leaders of the opposition NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) have likewise said the meetings attracting political attention were primarily concerned with Sharad Pawar’s health rather than organisational arrangements.
Shirsat had told journalists in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar during Diwali that developments were already visible. He said the remaining question was which faction would merge into the other, suggesting that decisions about individual leaders’ positions were approaching.
His assessment was not accompanied by an announcement from either NCP faction, a proposed agreement or a timetable endorsed by their leadership. No joint decision on the parties’ names, organisational structure or political alliances has been made public.
The speculation intensified after Parth Pawar, NCP general secretary and son of the late Ajit Pawar, visited Sharad Pawar at his Silver Oak residence in south Mumbai on Saturday and Sunday. The visits followed the senior leader’s discharge from hospital after treatment for a chest infection.
Parth’s meetings drew attention because the two factions have remained politically separated since 2023. NCP representatives, however, described the encounters as family visits and rejected suggestions that their occurrence established an agreement to reunite.
NCP national working president Praful Patel also visited Sharad Pawar at Breach Candy Hospital. A video showing the politicians discussing another meeting after November 10 circulated widely, prompting further questions about whether negotiations might resume.
Patel said the hospital visit was intended to enquire about Sharad Pawar’s wellbeing, not to conduct substantive political discussions. He explained that the reference to November 10 concerned his return to Mumbai from Gondia and a possible further visit to check on Pawar’s health.
Sharad Pawar also met senior NCP (SP) figures, including Jayant Patil, Shashikant Shinde, Amol Kolhe, Anil Deshmukh and Jitendra Awhad. Kolhe and Awhad maintained that the gathering concerned the leader’s health and did not involve negotiations over combining the parties.
Another intervention came from NCP Maharashtra president Sunil Tatkare, who said the factions would have reunited in February had Ajit Pawar survived. Tatkare’s account acknowledged earlier discussions but did not establish that a new agreement was being negotiated or that an announcement was imminent.
Ajit Pawar, who led the ruling faction and served as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister, died in a plane crash in January. His widow, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, now leads the NCP, which remains a partner in the BJP-led Mahayuti government.
The political consequences of any reunion would depend partly on whether the combined organisation remained in the governing coalition. Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) belongs to the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alongside the Congress and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut rejected the merger speculation on Monday and said Sharad Pawar should clarify his own position. Raut maintained that no proposal was on the table and argued against assuming the opposition leader would align with the BJP.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said the NCP factions are separate parties entitled to make their own decisions. His position leaves any organisational change to their respective leaderships rather than the government’s coalition partners.
Senior NCP figures also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi without Sunetra Pawar attending.
The NCP divided in July 2023 when Ajit Pawar and supporting legislators joined the state government. The Election Commission subsequently recognised his faction as the NCP, with the clock election symbol, while Sharad Pawar’s organisation adopted the NCP (SP) name.
Shirsat, meanwhile, said his Shiv Sena faction would welcome anyone seeking to join it when asked whether the rival Sena groups might also reunite.
