NCP merger talks ended with Ajit Pawar's death, says Supriya Sule

Supriya Sule, a senior leader of the NCP's Sharad Pawar faction, has said that any possibility of reconciliation between the party's warring groups effectively ended with the death of Ajit Pawar. She noted that while merger discussions had taken place during Ajit Pawar's lifetime, the matter was not pursued further following his demise. Sule stated that she has not received any overtures from the opposing faction regarding a potential reunification of the party. The NCP had split into two competing factions following a political realignment in Maharashtra, with Sharad Pawar leading one section and Ajit Pawar, his nephew, heading the other after aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government. Ajit Pawar's death has now prompted fresh assessments of the party's future trajectory and the prospects for healing the longstanding rift within the organization.