World · India Bureau
NCP won't abandon decades of work by joining BJP, says Raut
A senior NCP leader has ruled out merger with the BJP, amid ongoing discussions about unifying the fractured Nationalist Congress Party. The comments come as party patriarch Sharad Pawar receives visitors during a period of illness.
LSN India ·
The Nationalist Congress Party faces renewed pressure to resolve its internal divisions, with senior leader Sanjay Raut dismissing the possibility of alignment with the BJP. "We will not squander decades of our party's work by joining the BJP," Raut said, underlining the NCP's commitment to maintaining its separate political identity.
Discussions about reuniting the NCP's two factions have intensified following visits by various party leaders to ailing patriarch Sharad Pawar. The party has remained divided since 2023, when former chief minister Ajit Pawar led a significant split, taking a substantial number of legislators with him.
Raut's remarks suggest the NCP leadership remains focused on internal reconciliation rather than external political realignments. The Maharashtra unit president indicated that had circumstances been different, the party's two wings could have reunited as early as February this year.
The NCP's internal crisis has posed significant challenges to opposition unity in Maharashtra, a key political battleground. Party insiders continue deliberating on mechanisms for merger talks, even as various factions present differing perspectives on the path forward.