In a revelation that has stunned Maharashtra’s political circles, senior NCP(SP) leader Jayant Patil claimed on Saturday that the two rival factions of the Nationalist Congress Party were just days away from a formal merger before a tragic plane crash claimed the life of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
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According to Patil, the reunification wasn’t just about politics—it was “Ajit Dada’s final wish” to heal the family rift and remove the “stigma” of the party split while Sharad Pawar is still active in public life.
The Secret Timeline
Confirming earlier hints dropped by Sharad Pawar in Baramati, Patil revealed that the merger was practically a done deal. The date for the official announcement? February 12.
“We met on January 16 at my house to finalize everything,” Patil shared, visibly moved. “The original plan was to announce it on February 8, right after the Zilla Parishad polls. But I had a wedding to attend in Delhi, so Ajit Dada told me, ‘Whatever date you decide, we will do it.’ We settled on the 12th.”
Patil disclosed that the two sides had held around 10 high-level meetings over the last four months. Four of those secret sessions took place at Patil’s own residence, where Ajit Pawar reportedly expressed a deep desire to bring the “NCP family” back together.
The Plan: A Return to the ‘Clock’
The strategy was simple but bold: test the waters of a unified front during the upcoming local elections. The two factions had allegedly agreed to contest the Zilla Parishad polls under a single, unified symbol—the Clock.
Ajit Pawar was reportedly confident that his camp was fully on board. “He used to tell me that all his legislators were with him in this decision. He didn’t expect any opposition,” Patil noted.
A Process Interrupted
The tragic crash in Baramati has now left those plans in limbo. “If Ajit Dada were alive today, the political map of Maharashtra would have looked very different by next week,” Patil said, adding that the crash “interrupted” a process that was already at the finish line.
While Patil and other leaders like Eknath Khadse and Anil Deshmukh are speaking out about the secret talks, the Ajit Pawar-led faction remains largely silent. Senior leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal and Sunil Tatkare have refused to comment, focusing instead on the immediate leadership vacuum.
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What Happens Now?
The focus now shifts to Sunetra Pawar, Ajit’s wife, who is set to be sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister today to stabilize the faction within the Mahayuti government.
Patil suggested that the “final wish” of the late leader now rests in her hands. “Now that Sunetra Pawar is taking charge, if she decides to listen to the sentiments of the MLAs, only then can that last wish be fulfilled,” he said. |
