Sunetra's Son Parth Meets Sharad Pawar, Assures Him Of Fulfilling His Father's 'NCP Merger Wish'

NCP Merger Talks: Parth Pawar, the elder son of late Ajit Pawar and National Congress (NCP) leader, met NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday in an attempt to pacify him over the issue of the merger of both factions of the party, an unfulfilled desire of his late father.

Kiran Gujar, a close aide of the late NCP chief Ajit Pawar and a confidant of the Pawar family in Baramati, claimed that Parth called on his grandfather and assured him that the NCP was committed to fulfilling his father's wish about the merger.

Parth In Action After Sharad Pawar Showed His Displeasure

The move came after senior Pawar claimed in the morning that he was unaware of Sunetra Pawar's planned swearing-in as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, expressing apprehension that the unification process might face a roadblock.

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"Whatever Pawar saheb said at the press conference is justified. However, I sensed there was some communication gap and felt it should be addressed. Later, Parth reached out to Pawar saheb and spoke to the entire family," said Gujar, reviving the merger expectation of the party workers.

'Committed To Fulfill Dada's Wish'

During the discussion, Parth assured that "everyone in Baramati, including the Pawar family, is committed to fulfilling Ajit dada's wish," he said.

Asked about NCP leader Sunil Tatkare dismissing claims that a January 17 meeting between Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit was about the proposed merger, Gujar said Ajit Pawar had briefed him on the outcome of that meeting.

NCP Leaders Tight-Lipped On Merger; BJP Thinks It Is Unlikely

Meanwhile, senior leaders of the NCP on Saturday maintained a guarded silence on the prospects of merger of the rival factions of the party, even as senior BJP leader and Union Minister Piyush Goyal said he did not expect it to happen anytime soon.

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The NCP (SP) leaders, on the other hand, claimed that Ajit Pawar, who died in an air crash on January 28, very much wanted the two factions to reunite, but party supremo Sharad Pawar conceded that the process might face a roadblock now.

Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar was on Saturday evening sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, filling the vacancy created by her husband's demise.
(With PTI inputs)