Devendra Fadnavis Denies Knowledge of NCP Merger Plans

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that any decision to merge the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) rests entirely with Sharad Pawar and Sunetra Pawar. Speaking at a Diwali gathering in Mumbai, Fadnavis asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not been notified of any such plans and noted that a merger cannot occur without the BJP's involvement.

These comments follow recent meetings between Sharad Pawar and leaders of the Sunetra Pawar-led NCP, including Praful Patel and Parth Pawar. During the event, Fadnavis also declined to compare Sunetra Pawar's leadership to that of her late husband, Ajit Pawar, who died in an air crash on January 28. He described Ajit Pawar as a tested leader with deep knowledge of the state, while noting that Sunetra Pawar is still adapting to her current situation.