The sources said that the reunion could also create issues between Praful Patel and Supriya Sule for the central cabinet ministerial berth.
Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said the NCP leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare do not want to see the merger of both factions of the NCP due to their own political ambitions. The Shiv Sena leader’s remark came a day after NCP state president Sunil Tatkare claimed that there was no proposal for merger between both factions of the NCP.
Earlier this month, NCP founder Sharad Pawar had stated that a section of the party leaders of the view to reunite with NCP, while another section does not want to join the BJP led NDA.
Since the direction of the Supreme Court to the State Election Commission (SEC) of Maharashtra to hold elections of 687 urban and rural local bodies including Municipal Corporations of Pune, Thane and Mumbai, the buzz of reunion of the state’s once powerful party, founded by Sharad Pawar, is gathering momentum in the state.
According to the sources, Ajit Pawar-led NCP leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare have reportedly expressed their concerns over power sharing and important positions in the party organisation if the reunion takes place.
The sources said that the reunion could also create issues between Praful Patel and Supriya Sule for the central cabinet ministerial berth.
The buzz of possible reunion also gained momentum following multiple meetings between NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar at public and private functions at Pune’s Vasantdada Sugar Institute and at the engagement ceremony of Ajit Pawar’s son. In addition to this, the NCP founder also added fuel to fire by stating that a section of leaders in his party were keen to join forces with the Ajit-led faction, and that the ball was in his daughter Supriya Sule’s court for a final call.
Taking a dig at Ajit Pawar-led NCP, Mr. Raut said that there are contradictions in the statements. “NCP leaders still claim Sharad Pawar is their leader, but they are not ready for it,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said.
He also said that the Ajit Pawar led NCP want to operate their “small shop” with the “main shop” of the BJP. “Each one thinks of their political benefits. Praful Patel is not a great leader, Tatkare is also state president of his faction. If the merger takes place, the president will have to be changed,” Mr. Raut said.
Dismissing Raut’s claim, Maharashtra NCP president Sunil Tatkare said that there is no reason to oppose the merger of both parties as there was no such proposal for the consideration. “This is Raut’s imaginary idea. He is used to make sensational statements every morning so that he could remain in discussion throughout the day. I am thankful to him for keeping me in the discussion throughout today,” the NCP leader said.
