KOLHAPUR: NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar clarified on Thursday that he had never asserted his party’s intention to merge with the Congress.
During a press conference in Satara, when asked to elaborate on his previous statement regarding the potential merger of NCP (SP) with Congress post the Lok Sabha polls, Pawar reiterated, “Mi asa bolalo nahi, mi asa bolalo nahi. (I did not say this, I did not say this).”
Expanding further, Pawar emphasized, “I mentioned that NCP (SP) and Congress have been collaborating since 2001, including serving together in the state cabinet and contesting elections jointly. Given our shared ideology, it’s crucial for us to continue this collaborative effort.”
In response to questions about his interview regarding the merger of regional parties with Congress, Pawar clarified, “Not all regional parties; some align closely with the Congress ideology, like my NCP. We have a history of collaboration, sharing the ideologies of Gandhi and Nehru. If a closer partnership evolves over time, it wouldn’t be unexpected.”
Regarding speculation about other regional parties like Shiv Sena (UBT) merging with Congress, Pawar stated, “Shiv Sena (UBT) maintains its independent identity. While we are in alliance, Sena (UBT) operates autonomously.”
Various politicians reacted to Pawar’s earlier statement. Former CM Prithviraj Chavan suggested that the cooperation or merger of smaller parties would depend on the LS poll outcomes. CM Eknath Shinde and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis speculated on the merger of both NCP (SCP) and Sena (UBT) with Congress.
In contrast, Dy CM Ajit Pawar criticized BJP’s Chandrakant Patil for suggesting Sharad Pawar’s defeat in Baramati during the campaign. Ajit Pawar clarified, “There was no basis for such a statement. With Pawar Saheb not contesting, his defeat in Baramati wasn’t a possibility. I advised Chandrakant dada to focus on the Pune seat, leaving Baramati to me.”
