NCP Merger Talks In Limbo As Sunetra Pawar Takes The Helm After Ajit Pawar's Death; Will Two Factions Unite?

NCP Merger News: The untimely death of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a deadly plane crash in Baramati has triggered political uncertainty across the state, particularly within the ruling Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction).

Ajit Pawar's passing on Wednesday left the NCP grappling with a sudden leadership vacuum. In a swift move to restore stability, party leaders on Saturday elected his wife and Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar as the new leader of the party. Later in the day, Sunetra Pawar took oath as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, formally stepping into Ajit Pawar's role in the state government.

While Sunetra Pawar's elevation to Ajit Pawar's posts may help resolve the immediate dilemma within the Mahayuti alliance, a larger question still looms: will the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party merge? NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar on Saturday claimed that Ajit Pawar was willing to unite the two factions of the party. However, a senior leader from the Ajit Pawar faction, Anil Patil, dismissed the merger speculation, saying the "option is currently closed."

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At the same time, Patil kept the door open, stating that NCP leaders would deliberate on the issue and hold discussions with NDA allies before taking a final call. "Our effort is that Sunetra Pawar should handle the leadership of the entire party, both in the state and at the national level. We came to know about these developments only through media statements. The knowledge of all this rested solely with Ajit Pawar," Patil said.

"No open discussions took place on the party platform. The Pawar family will decide the future course of action. Talks will also be held with the NDA, and a decision may be taken thereafter, because the person who was supposed to hold these discussions is no longer alive," he added.

According to a report by ANI, a crucial meeting between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar was held on January 17, 2026, reportedly their final discussion on the proposed merger. The two factions had been working towards reunification, with Ajit Pawar planning to announce the merger on February 12. However, his sudden death has put the process on hold.

Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar faction leader Jayant Patil said on Saturday that the late NCP chief was keen on reuniting with his uncle and had held several meetings to facilitate the merger. "He visited my house on multiple occasions and held talks over dinner. He said he wanted to reunite with his uncle by moving past old differences. On January 16, we decided to contest the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections together, and the formal merger announcement was scheduled for February 12," Jayant Patil said.

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Patil further stated that Ajit Pawar had informed senior NCP leaders Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and Chhagan Bhujbal about the merger efforts and assured them that they would abide by the decision he took.

Notably, the NCP and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) had contested the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections together, and discussions were underway for a similar arrangement in the upcoming Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls. What unfolds next for the two factions will largely depend on how Sharad Pawar and other senior leaders from both camps deliberate on the issue.