NCP (SP) scotches merger speculations

The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Wednesday (March 4, 2026) formally scotched speculations about a possible merger with the Nationalist Congress Party, saying that such talks were no longer under consideration and that its allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) were aware of the party’s position.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, NCP (SP) State president Jayant Patil said, “The merger talks had been initiated at the insistence of Ajit Pawar. He is no more now. So, there is no possibility of a merger anymore. This issue does not exist anymore. I don’t think any of our alliance partners have any doubts about this.”

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His remarks come amid concerns raised by some MVA leaders about NCP SP’s ideological position and whether it might eventually align with the BJP-led Mahayuti in Maharashtra.

Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and NCP’s national president, died in a tragic air crash on January 28. Following his death, NCP (SP) had claimed that merger talks between the two factions were at an advanced stage and that a formal announcement was expected on February 12. However, the party did not clarify whether a unified NCP would align with the NDA’s regional alliance, Mahayuti or the INDIA Bloc’s regional alliance, MVA. This ambiguity had triggered unease among its allies.

Mr. Patil spoke on the sidelines of discussions over the Rajya Sabha nomination from Maharashtra. When asked whether alliance partners were seeking assurance about NCP (SP)’s allegiance to the INDIA Bloc, he said no such assurance was necessary.

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The party maintained that the MVA was formed at the initiative of Sharad Pawar and that he remained the binding force that brought the Congress and the Shiv Sena together despite their years of political differences.

The NCP (SP) has maintained that Ajit Pawar had been keen on reunification and had initiated informal discussions without consulting other party leaders. However, the current NCP leadership has denied that any merger talks were underway.