Praful Patel denies Piyush Goyal’s claim that he has been appointed NCP chief

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s remarks about senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel being appointed the party’s new national president created a stir in Maharashtra on Sunday (February 1, 2026), with Mr. Patel denying it and calling it “completely baseless and factually incorrect.” The post has been vacant since the tragic death of party chief Ajit Pawar earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis refuted veteran politician Sharad Pawar’s claims about the merger of his faction of the NCP with the faction previously headed by his late nephew. Mr. Sharad Pawar’s NCP-SP currently sits in the Opposition, while the late Ajit Pawar’s NCP is part of the ruling alliance.

Answering a question on the reallocation of portfolios, Mr. Fadnavis said that he had kept the finance department, earlier handled by the junior Pawar, with himself, after due consultation with the NCP leadership.

No decision on NCP chief yet

Mr. Praful Patel categorically dismissed Mr. Goyal’s claims in a social media post. “The Nationalist Congress Party functions on democratic principles, and any decision of this nature would be taken only after due consultation with senior leaders, MLAs, office-bearers, and by respecting the collective will and sentiments of all party members. As a national party, the NCP strictly follows established procedures in such matters,” he said on his X handle on Sunday (February 1, 2026).

Mr. Goyal later posted an apology, saying he had been misinformed by someone.

Several NCP leaders said the decision about the national president should be taken by Sunetra Pawar, the late Pawar’s widow who has replaced him as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister. Several leaders said she should take over the NCP national president role as well. Suresh Birasdar, an NCP leader from Dharashiv, said the legislators would collectively write to Ms. Pawar about this.

CM scoffs at NCP merger rumours

Rumours of NCP reunification continued to swirl in political circles on Sunday (February 1, 2026). NCP-SP State president Shashikant Shinde reiterated that merger talks had been finalised after 15 meetings on the issue, with an announcement to be made after February 8.

Refuting such claims, Mr. Fadnavis said he was not aware of any date of declaration of reunification. “Ajit dada was a part of the government. The NCP is an independent party which is a part of the Mahayuti alliance. Could he have taken such a decision without informing us? He was stable in the government. If Ajit Dada was working on a merger, would he do so without taking the BJP into confidence? Was he preparing to quit the NDA where he was stable? He shared everything with me,” he said, adding that the NCP was a separate party which took its own independent decisions.

NCP state president Sunil Tatkare insisted that there was no talk of a merger. “We are with the NDA and a decision has been taken to remain with it permanently. I have not taken any decision without Dada’s consent. Irrespective of who says what, our role is to carry forward the party and the ideology given by Dada, and we are firm on this stand,” he said.

NCP-SP MLA and Pawar clan member Rohit Pawar claimed he knew many things, but did not want to talk politics for 13 days after Ajit Pawar’s demise.

Sunetra in Baramati

Ms. Pawar, the newly appointed DCM, left Mumbai on Sunday (February 1, 2026) to return to the family home in Baramati, where she will remain for the next 10 days till the final rituals for her late husband are completed, sources said. She also visited Katewadi where her mother-in-law Asha Pawar is based.

Ajit Pawar’s sacred ashes were brought into the NCP office in Mumbai on Sunday (February 1, 2026), with the party planning to send one asthi kalash (funeral urn) to each district. “Party ministers, MLAs and district presidents will organise public darshan, following which the ashes will be immersed in rivers in the respective districts,” Mr. Tatkare said.

Ajit Pawar’s elder son Parth Pawar also visited the NCP office on Sunday, entering his father’s cabin and hugging his empty chair. “He was seen sobbing as he recalled memories of Dada. He later paid his respects. Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare also paid her respects,” the NCP said in a statement.