Mumbai, May 20 (IANS) Maharashtra NCP-SP President Shashikant Shinde on Wednesday firmly squashed the rumours of a reconciliation, reunification or merger with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction.

He said that the question of a merger is entirely closed and that no such discussions are on the table.

“There is absolutely no discussion regarding a merger. The topic is completely over,” he added.

During a high-level meeting of the NCP-SP faction on Wednesday, the party leadership explicitly ruled out any possibility of a merger with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

Shinde was speaking to reporters after the meeting which was chaired by the party President Sharad Pawar and attended by key stalwarts, including NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule, Jayant Patil, and other senior office-bearers.

The NCP-SP insiders reveal that several party workers and leaders demanded an official stance on the rumoured merger to clear ambiguity among the cadre.

Shinde reiterated that “There will be no merger of the two NCP factions”.

Instead, he announced that the party will focus on strengthening the organisational base and build a formidable opposition by launching agitations against the Maharashtra government over number of issues, including farmers plight, rising prices of essential commodities, shortages of petrol and diesel, irregularities in NEET exams, among others.

While Sharad Pawar did not directly speak on the matter, political observers note that the announcement was made in his presence, signalling his implicit endorsement of the decision.

Shinde indicated that the top priority for the party moving forward is to eliminate ambiguity among the grassroots cadre and focus heavily on organisation building.

He emphasised that the leadership’s primary focus is now to fortify the existing party setup.

Shinde asserted that the NCP-SP will aggressively position itself to build a capable, strong, and highly visible Opposition voice against the current ruling BJP-led MahaYuti alliance.

He confirmed that this collective stance was finalised during the high-level meet in the direct presence of party patriarch Sharad Pawar, alongside senior leaders like Supriya Sule and Jayant Patil, giving the statement complete official authority.

Shinde’s statement comes when rumours frequently surfaced that the NCP factions might reconcile, leading to a unified NCP.

However, Wednesday’s official declaration draws a firm line in the sand, confirming that both factions will continue to chart entirely separate political destinies ahead of the upcoming electoral battles.

Last week, Sharad Pawar said that the talks about reunification were held between former Deputy Chief Minister late Ajit Pawar and former State NCP-SP President Jayant Patil.

However, the NCP-SP Chief added that after the untimely demise of Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28, the talks of a merger between the two factions of NCP is over now.

–IANS

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