The Maharashtra NCP unit president, Shashikant Shinde, declared the party’s merger discussions closed following Ajit Pawar’s passing. Shinde clarified that the decision was made while Ajit Pawar was alive, and there was no rush from their side. He emphasized that the focus now is on strengthening the party organization.
Shinde highlighted that the merger talks were initiated in Ajit Pawar’s presence, but they have decided to move past it. He refrained from commenting on objections raised by senior leaders like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare. Shinde expressed a conciliatory tone, acknowledging Ajit Pawar’s efforts to reunite the party.
In a recent statement, Shinde mentioned that the party is now concentrating on party building and moving forward without revisiting the merger issue. He also revealed that a decision to merge the parties was made in the presence of Sharad Pawar.
Shinde’s assertions were challenged by Sunil Tatkare, the state NCP chief, who deemed Shinde’s claims irrelevant and factually incorrect. Tatkare warned of a strong response if such claims persisted, emphasizing the need for decorum in discussions about the late Ajit Pawar’s decisions.
