MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s unscheduled late-night visit to New Delhi on Monday where he met Union home minister Amit Shah post-midnight for over an hour, has once again sparked speculation over a possible merger of the twin Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions. Deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar is also expected to meet Shah and other BJP leaders in Delhi on Wednesday. Apart from the prospects of a reunion potential changes in the state government in the aftermath of Ajit Pawar’s death were also discussed.
People in the know have indicated that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) central leadership has conveyed that the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) may be accommodated within the faction led by Sunetra Pawar. NCP (SP) insiders had recently indicated that a nod for the merger between the two parties was given by the central leadership even when Ajit Pawar was alive, as reported by HT on February 3.
A section of BJP leadership in the state is of the opinion that the party will benefit politically if the two factions of NCP remain separate. “The leaders feel that the two weak sections of the party would not pose a challenge to BJP in the 2029-Lok Sabha and Assembly polls when the party is planning to go solo. The leaders also feel that two different factions would face a leadership crisis which would keep them from emerging as a strong political power,” said a BJP leader. He however added that “the central leadership is throwing its weight behind the merger to strengthen the NDA alliance, as the Sharad Pawar-led party has eight MPs in Lok Sabha”.
Addressing the media at Mantralaya on Monday, Fadnavis however said any decision on the merger rests with NCP, as “it is their internal issue”. “It would be premature and improper for me to speak on the issue right now. We can react only after being informed about the plan officially,” he said.
In their late-night meeting, Shah and Fadnavis reportedly discussed internal changes in the government in Maharashtra after Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as the deputy chief minister. It is believed that Fadnavis is likely to opt for changes in the cabinet. The two parties are expected to take a call on the finance portfolio, which is currently with Fadnavis following the death of Ajit Pawar. BJP and NCP may swap the department in lieu of another significant department. “Also, one berth in the cabinet is vacant from the NCP quota, following the resignation of Manikrao Kokate. To fill that a few portfolios might also be exchanged,” said an NCP leader.