Congress-NCP SP Merger: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday targeted Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut for his remark on the merger of Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) and other regional parties, which stemmed from the Congress with the grand old party.

"The person who is talking the most about the merger of other smaller parties (TMC/NCP, SP, etc.) with the Congress Party is someone who has nothing to do with the Congress or with those other smaller parties. But this person (pointing to Raut) is like Abdullah Diwana at someone else's wedding. As far as the merger is concerned, I would simply say that the leadership of all these regional parties is politically savvy and will not jump aboard a sinking ship, because the Congress is a sinking ship. Even if this merger happens, we will not suffer any loss because it will give us more political space," he said.

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Raut had said earlier this week that senior NCP-SP leader Sharad Pawar should take the lead in merging smaller parties that broke away from the Congress party into the Congress party.

Speaking about the speculation surrounding the possible merger of Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and Sharad Pawar's party with the Congress, Fadnavis said that wise leaders will not board a sinking ship.

The Merger Will Only Benefit The BJP: Fadnavis

Fadnavis further stated that even if a merger occurs, it will only benefit the BJP. Declining to comment further on the matter, the chief minister said the BJP is monitoring the situation.

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Earlier, NDTV, quoting sources, reported that Pawar may be considering a merger to prevent further rebellion within his party. Some MPs from his party have grown close to the BJP and may be willing to switch sides. According to sources, Sharad Pawar's merger move could be an attempt to prevent defections.

Nana Patole's Big Claim

Meanwhile, Congress leader Nana Patole on Friday said there was a growing mindset that favours the merger of secular parties, including the TMC and the NCP (SP), into the grand old party, and a process to that effect has begun at the national level. He also claimed that the Sharad Pawar-led party had earlier submitted a proposal for a merger with the Congress, but it could not materialise for some reason.

(With Jagran.com/Agencies Inputs)