Mumbai, Jan 30 (IANS) The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party on Friday claimed that the talks had finalised, awaiting a formal announcement for the merger with the NCP, which was headed by the late Ajit Pawar. However, NCP, which is yet to recover from the deep shock following the sudden and untimely demise of Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, has maintained silence, refusing to divulge further details in this regard.

A day after NCP-SP state president Shashikant Shinde and senior MLA Jayant Patil confirmed the talks, senior party leader Eknath Khadse on Friday said that the talks had been going on for three to four months.

“It was almost decided that the merger would happen. There was a plan to announce the merger,” said Khadse.

Former Home Minister and NCP SP leader Anil Deshmukh held a press conference in Nagpur, saying that, “Ajit Pawar wanted a merger to happen. Jayant Patil also held meetings… We will decide after the municipal corporation elections. Both factions need to come together as per Ajit Dada’s wish. This was his final wish, so steps should be taken accordingly.”

Former minister and NCP-SP leader Rajesh Tope said that the decision of merger was taken in the presence of Ajit Pawar. “We are the witnesses to it. Only the announcement was left, which was to be made after the Zilla Parishad elections,” said Tope. However, the leaders of the NCP chose not to comment on the issue of the merger.

NCP state president Sunil Tatkare told reporters that the issue at present is about choosing the legislative party leader, and nothing else was discussed.

NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal too said that the issue at present is about choosing the deputy CM. “I am not sure about anything else,” he said.

Currently, both NCP factions have allied to contest the ongoing elections to the 12 zilla parishads and 125 panchayat samitis in the state.

Ajit Pawar had launched extensive campaigning for the zilla parishad elections, and he died on Wednesday in a plane crash in Baramati, as he was to address four rallies there.

Earlier, Senior NCP SP leader Ankush Kakade on Thursday shared an emotional memory regarding former Deputy Chief Minister late Ajit Pawar’s last desire to reunite the two factions.

Kakade revealed that Ajit Pawar had intended to reunite the two NCP factions by December 12 (Sharad Pawar’s birthday) as a “gift” to the senior Pawar.

While discussions were ongoing, the merger did not materialise in time.

Kakade shared that Ajit Pawar had urged him and other senior leaders like Vitthal Sheth Maniar and Srinivas Patil—who share a close bond with Sharad Pawar—to facilitate a reconciliation.

He reportedly told them, “You have good relations with Saheb (Sharad Pawar); please talk to him. Try to see how both NCP factions can become one again.”

–IANS

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