Baramati, Jan 30 (IANS) Senior NCP SP leader Ankush Kakade on Thursday shared an emotional memory regarding former Deputy CM 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.”

Kakade mentioned that their political journeys began together in the District Bank and that Maharashtra would never forget Ajit Pawar’s work and his handling of Sharad Pawar’s political legacy. He noted that although they had decided to fight the upcoming Municipal Corporation elections together, the tragic accident occurred before the formal reunion could be completed.

Kakade further said, “Ajit Pawar had told me that we were supposed to come together on December 12, but we couldn’t. It’s okay; we will come together after the elections.” He added, however, that unfortunately, he could not fulfil his wish.

Meanwhile, NCP minister Narhari Zirwal stated that while the political split in NCP was a reality of “changing times and development goals,” the emotional thread between the workers of both factions never truly snapped.

He noted that the tragedy has brought a sense of shared mourning that transcends party symbols. Zirwal reiterated that he has consistently maintained that even while serving in the Ajit Pawar-led faction, many leaders—himself included—still look to Sharad Pawar as a father figure.

“I have always said that though we are in two groups, Pawar Saheb’s blessings remain with us from a distance,” he remarked. Addressing the rumours of a formal reunification, Zirwal suggested that any decision on a merger would depend on the “will of the workers and the guidance of the senior leadership.”

He indicated that in a post-Ajit Pawar scenario, the primary focus for the faction would be stability, but he did not rule out a “homecoming” if it served the interests of the state and the vision they all originally shared under the undivided NCP.

As Maharashtra observes a period of mourning, the political future of the NCP remains at a crossroads, with leaders like Zirwal signalling a softening of stances in the shadow of this national tragedy.

–IANS

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