Six senior NCP leaders bypass Sunetra, Parth Pawar in huddle with union home minister

MUMBAI: In signs of fresh turmoil within NCP, six senior party leaders led by national working president Praful Patel, met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Monday. It is learnt that the NCP leaders pushed for a merger with NCP-SP and its induction into the NDA fold. They also expressed displeasure about how the NCP leadership was running the party, according to people aware of the matter.

Patel met Shah along with Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare, state ministers Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dilip Walse Patil and Dhananjay Munde. The faction led by Patel claimed that the meeting was held to build pressure on BJP brass to return the finance ministry portfolio, held by the late Ajit Pawar, back to NCP.

Party insiders are, however, not buying the explanation since the meeting happened in the absence of both deputy CM and NCP chief Sunetra Pawar and Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar.


BJP is keen on the merger of the two NCP factions. However, Sunetra and Parth are vehemently opposed to the merger and have conveyed this to the BJP leadership, both in Maharashtra and at the Centre. BJP believes it is important for NCP-SP to be part of the alliance for two reasons - the party MPs' support is needed to get the delimitation bill passed in Parliament, and to weaken the Opposition MVA in Maharashtra.

Later in the day, after the NCP core committee meeting in Mumbai, Tatkare said: "We discussed the functioning of the party and how to remain united under the leadership of Sunetra vahini." He added that there was no question of a merger and the NCP-SP chief himself had put an end to the issue. He interestingly said that NCP believes in "collective leadership" and understands the party's decision-making process, brushing aside reports of friction in the party.