Another Split Or Merger? Tale Of Two NCPs And 3 Meetings With Devendra Fadnavis

Internal rumblings within the Sunetra Pawar-led NCP appear to be intensifying. And all is not quiet in the other NCP led by Sharad Pawar. At the centre of the intense political drama in Maharashtra is Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.  

A day after senior party leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare's late-night meeting with Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday triggered political speculation, Ajit Pawar's son and party MP Parth Pawar also met the Chief Minister at his residence.

There has been no official word from either side on the meetings. Sources said the discussion focused on recent developments following Fadnavis' meeting with Tatkare and Patel.

The meeting reportedly caught NCP leaders by surprise, with party chief and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar seeking an explanation from Sunil Tatkare.

Tatkare, on his part, downplayed the meeting, saying it was not political and he did not feel the need to keep Sunetra Pawar in the loop.

Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare feel sidelined by Sunetra Pawar and son

The internal strife within the NCP has been in the news recently. The party appears divided into two camps. One is with Sunetra Pawar and her son Parth Pawar, and the other is with Praful Patel and Tatkare.

Insiders say Patel and Tatkare are unhappy with the growing role of Parth Pawar in the party and his style of functioning.

Parth Pawar was nominated to the Rajya Sabha after Sunetra Pawar resigned from the Upper House. Sunetra Pawar became Deputy Chief Minister following Ajit Pawar's sudden death in a plane crash.

The rift became more evident after Patel spoke of the need for "corrective measures". Since Ajit Pawar's death and Sunetra Pawar's elevation as party leader, Patel and Tatkare, seen as challengers to her leadership, have found themselves increasingly sidelined.

Discontent within the party also came to the fore when a senior leader openly challenged Sunetra Pawar's position as NCP chief. National Secretary Sachchidanand Singh questioned the process through which she was elected as party chief, calling it "illegal, non-existent, and void".

Parth Pawar and Sunetra Pawar call the shots in NCP

Interestingly, it was not just leaders of the ruling NCP who met the Chief Minister. Sharad Pawar faction leader Jayant Patil also met the Chief Minister around the same time as the NCP leaders, fueling further political speculation.

Tatkare, however, said the presence of Patel and Patil at the Chief Minister's residence was just a coincidence, and the purpose of his meeting was purely administrative and not political.

A former lawmaker, who declined to be named, told NDTV: "Three senior leaders from two rival factions meeting the Chief Minister at night cannot be a coincidence."

The meetings have fueled buzz of a likely merger of the two NCP factions.

Tatkare, however, rejected any such move, saying talks were on when Ajit Pawar was alive but have been in cold storage since his death.

According to insiders, Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare are in talks with a section of NCP (SP) leaders for a possible switch to the NDA.

The Sharad Pawar party has denied any such move, with party MP Supriya Sule insisting "we are with the INDIA alliance".