NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar set the political arena buzzing on Thursday when he hinted at the possibility of two NCP factions reuniting in the future. After Pawar’s statement, both camps of the NCP put forth positive signals about possibility of a reunion. Sharad Pawar said: “It is up to Supriya Sule (Sharad Pawar’s daughter) and Ajit Pawar (Sharad Pawar’s nephew) to take this decision. I am not in the decision-making process. There are two streams of opinion in our party. Some are in favour of joining hands with Ajit Pawar, while others are in favour of not going directly or indirectly with the BJP, and instead they wish to remain with the INDIA alliance.” With Sharad Pawar’s hint of a possible reunion, the future of MVA – the alliance of NCP (SP), Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) – now hangs in balance. While Sharad Pawar has remained the guiding force for MVA in the state, he was also the key campaigner for the opposition alliance in both the Lok Sabha and assembly polls. However, now, the MVA’s future appears uncertain amidst the possibility of Sharad Pawar’s NCP(SP) going with Ajit Pawar’s NCP and also Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s signal to MNS chief and cousin Raj Thackeray for a reunion.
PRE-POLL REJIG: KERALA CONGRESS APPOINTS FRESH FACES TO KEY POSTS
Ahead of the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, the Congress high command appointed Peravoor MLA Sunny Joseph as the new president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), replacing Kannur Lok Sabha MP K Sudhakaran. Joseph, has been representing Peravoor since 1991. Known for his soft-spoken demeanour, he is an effective organisational leader and has previously served as the Kannur Congress president. Coming from the influential Catholic community, his elevation is seen as a positive signal to this demographic, particularly after the demise of prominent leaders like Oommen Chandy and the retirement of A.K. Antony. The party has also faced electoral challenges in Christian-dominated areas in recent years, compounded by the Kerala Congress (Mani) party’s shift to the CPM-led LDF and the BJP making inroads into the Christian vote bank, evidenced by their victory in the Lok Sabha elections from the Thrissur constituency. The AICC also attempted to strike a caste, religious, and demographic balance in choosing other top office-bearers. It appointed Adoor Prakash, MP, who hails from the backwards class Ezhava community, a significant electoral bloc, as the United Democratic Front (UDF) convener. The AICC’s line-up change trended towards the party’s younger demographic. It appointed A.P. Anil Kumar, MLA, a Congress leader from the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) community, as one of the three KPCC working presidents. However, K Sudhakaran as well as former Bihar Congress president and Rajya Sabha member Akhilesh Prasad Singh have been made permanent invitees to the Congress Working Committee.
OPPOSITION EXTENDS SUPPORT TO OP SINDOOR, RAHUL WANTS PARL SESSION
The Opposition extended firm support to the government and the armed forces at the all-party meeting on Operation Sindoor. However, Rahul Gandhi demanded for a Parliament session to send out a good message of unity. While Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed the political parties about the precision strikes conducted by the forces on the terrorist spots located in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK),he also said that Operation Sindoor is “still ongoing”. Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “We have extended our full support to the government.” The all-party meeting, which was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, was attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and ministers JP Nadda and Nirmala Sitharaman. While Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge represented the Congress, Sandip Bandyopadhyay from the Trinamool Congress and DMK’s TR Baalu attended the meeting. Other opposition leaders who attended the meetings were Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Sanjay Singh of the AAP, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut, NCP (SP)’s Supriya Sule, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, and BJD’s Sasmit Patra.
KHARGE WRITES TO PM MODI WITH THREE SUGGESTIONS ON CASTE CENSUS
In a letter to PM Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge rendered three suggestions on the recently announced caste enumeration. A questionnaire based on the Telangana model, a constitutional amendment to remove the forcibly imposed 50% reservation cap regardless of the caste survey results, and immediate implementation of Article 15(5) for reservations to SCs, STs and OBCs in private institutes. Kharge also asserted that the caste census should not be considered divisive as it serves as a means to give rights to the backward, deprived and marginalised. A caste survey conducted by the Congress-ruled Telangana was designed to draw up the share of the population of different castes, their education levels, employment and economic status, and the power of the social networks of each social group in various walks of life, including politics, government, business, media and judiciary.
NDA ALLIES LAUD OPERATION SINDOOR, PRAISE PM MODI’S ‘POLITICAL WILL’
After the armed force struck terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, the BJP’s allies have praised PM Narendra Modi’s leadership. JD(U) leader and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said in a post on X that the country was proud of the courage of the armed forces. “We all have unwavering faith and pride in the leadership of respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,” Kumar said. While TDP and Jana Sena have also extended complete support with the Centre for the Operation Sindoor, and also demonstrating unwavering support for India’s military action against terrorist camps and also hailed PM Modi calling it a decisive action. Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu praised both the military’s bravery and PM Modi’s leadership, stating “Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, the world has witnessed our strength and determination. Our country stands united against terror and firmly supports our Armed Forces.” Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar appreciated PM Modi and the armed forces for successfully conducting Op Sindoor and giving a befitting reply to Pakistan-sponsored terror elements. Ajit Pawar noted, “Decisive political will is crucial for cross-border military action. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently shown such resolve.” (IPA Service)
Samajwadi Party Playing Brahmin Card To Take On BJP In 2027 Polls 