File photo of NCP Sharad Pawar.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: Amid reports of possible merger of the Sharad Pawar-Supriya Sule-led NCP group with the Congress ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, senior leaders of the outfit issued a vehement denial on Tuesday.
Pawar, who was in Pune, presided over a meeting of top leaders including MPs, MLAs and MLCs at his Modi Bagh residence in Pune.
A few days ago, the Election Commission ruled that the NCP group led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is the real NCP and allotted the traditional clock symbol.
After this, the poll body allotted the name NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) for the one-time purpose of the Rajya Sabha elections.
The Sharad Pawar-led group has challenged the EC order in the Supreme Court.
Over the past few days, there were rumours about a possible merger with the Congress.
The reports gained currency in the wake of AICC general secretary Ramesh Chennithala and top Maharashtra leadership calling on Sharad Pawar and having extensive deliberations to strengthen the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, the I.N.D.I.A. bloc.
Senior leaders including Baramati MP and Working President Supriya Sule, Shirur MP Dr Amol Kolhe, MLA and former state home minister Anil Deshmukh, MLC and former minister Shashikant Shinde and Pune unit president Prashant Jagtap issued a denial.
“Don’t spread rumours (of Sharad Pawar-led NCP’s merger with Congress), please look at the aspect of credibility,” Sule said, adding: “We will not merge with any political party. We will contest the upcoming polls as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.”
“There are no such discussions in the meeting,” said Dr Kolhe.
“This is baseless news,” added Deshmukh.
Jagtap said: "The news about the merger of our party is wrong. We will come forward with a new name and a new symbol. The meeting was held in view of the upcoming Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha elections. Talks were also held at the 24 February rally of the MVA-I.N.D.I.A. alliance in Pune.”
The NCP was founded on 10 June, 1999 after Sharad Pawar along with former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma and Tariq Anwar raised the issue of foreign origin of Sonia Gandhi - leading to their expulsion.
In June-July 2023, Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar rebelled to join the BJP-led NDA coalition and thereafter claimed the original party.