NCP Merger Decision Rests With Sharad Pawar, Sunetra: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday that only Sharad Pawar and Sunetra Pawar hold the authority to decide on a potential merger of the two Nationalist Congress Party factions, emphasizing that neither leader has informed the ruling coalition about any such development.

"If they decide to merge, they will come and tell us, because the merger cannot happen without us. Neither of them has told us anything yet," Fadnavis said while addressing reporters at a Diwali gathering at his official residence, Varsha, in Mumbai.

Speculation over a possible NCP faction consolidation intensified last week after several leaders from the Sunetra Pawar-led faction, including Praful Patel and Parth Pawar, held meetings with NCP (Sharad Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar, who had recently recovered from a chest infection-related hospitalization.

Fadnavis also pushed back against comparisons between Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar's leadership and that of her late husband Ajit Pawar, describing such comparisons as unfair. The Chief Minister's remarks come as the political landscape in Maharashtra continues to evolve following the state elections and coalition formation.