Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi stated that an NCP merger is a decision for its leadership, following Supriya Sule's formal rejection of reconciliation talks after the death of her cousin, Ajit Pawar, earlier this year.
Abu Asim Azmi Speaks on NCP Merger Following Supriya Sules Stance
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 14 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) Maharashtra unit chief and MLA Abu Asim Azmi on Saturday responded to recent political discourse surrounding the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), stating that while a merger between the rival factions could be positive, the decision ultimately rests entirely with party leadership. Azmi’s remarks come in the wake of statements by NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) working president Supriya Sule, who formally ruled out any potential political reunification or merger between the two factions following the untimely passing of Ajit Pawar.
Addressing reporters regarding the status of the two camps, Azmi emphasised that outsiders or leaders from other political formations have no locus standi to dictate how parties manage their internal affairs. “Sharad Pawar ji and Supriya Sule ji are the presidents of their party. They are free to do whatever they wish,” Azmi said. “I am not a member of that party, but as a citizen of this country, I felt that it would be good if the two factions merged. However, if the merger does not happen for some reason, we have no objection. It is their party, and they are free to do what they think is best...”
Speculation regarding a potential rapprochement or reconciliation between the two estranged factions had surfaced periodically through closed-door interactions and family meetings. However, following Ajit Pawar's passing in an aircraft crash near Baramati in January 2026, Supriya Sule formally drew the curtains on any prospective merger talks, stating that discussions had effectively ended with her cousin's demise and that no fresh proposals were currently under consideration.
Earlier in the day, MP Supriya Sule said discussions about a possible merger between the two rival factions of the party had ended following the death of her brother and former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Speaking at a press conference, Sule said, "The merger (of both factions of the party) was discussed until my brother (Ajit Pawar) was alive. The day he left us, it put a full stop to those discussions." Ajit Pawar died on January 28 after the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district.
The original NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, suffered a formal split in July 2023 when Ajit Pawar broke away along with a large group of MLAs and joined the Eknath Shinde-led BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra as Deputy Chief Minister. In February 2024, the Election Commission of India (ECI) officially recognised the faction led by Ajit Pawar as the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), allotting it the party name and the 'clock' symbol. Consequently, Sharad Pawar’s camp was designated as the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar). (ANI)
