The Nationalist Congress Party may be headed for a reconciliation ahead of local body polls in Maharashtra — nearly two years after it split into warring factions. Speculation about a merger gained momentum this month after Opposition leader Sharad Pawar was spotted sharing the stage with his estranged nephew on two separate occasions.
“There are two views in the party. One is that we reunite with the NCP led by Ajit Pawar. The second is that we don’t go directly or indirectly with the BJP. Let’s join the INDIA group and reorganise the alliance,” Pawar had told the Indian Express during a recent interview.
The recent developments have irked members of the the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, with senior MP Sanjay Raut claiming that the two groups were “already together”. Meanwhile rumours about a reconciliation between Uddhav Thackeray and his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray have also added a new dimension to Maharashtra politics.
The senior Pawar was also seen sharing the stage with his nephew and other members of the ruling coalition soon after the stunning admission — for the second time in four days. The Pawars attended an event organised by the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank in Mumbai on Monday after reuniting during a program in Satara last week. He had also told reporters during an informal chat last week that people ‘should not be surprised’ if the two factions reunited.
The situation had dealt a fresh blow to the Opposition group — already reeling from a fresh barrage of defections ahead of the local elections. There is also buzz about a possible reconciliation between Raj Thackeray (who heads the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) and his politically estranged cousin Uddhav Thackeray. While no formal announcements have been made, political analysts feel the cousins might be exploring ways to collaborate, particularly in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), where both parties command influence among Marathi voters.