‘Completely False’: NCP-SP Rules Out Merger After Supriya Sule Says Talks Ended With Ajit Pawar’s Death

Last Updated:November 15, 2026, 07:43 IST

NCP-SP rejected merger speculation after Supriya Sule said talks ended following Ajit Pawar’s death. Devendra Fadnavis also denied discussions with Sunetra Pawar.

A file photo of Sunetra Pawar (PTI)

The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) on Saturday rejected speculation about a possible merger with the faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, a day after senior leader Supriya Sule said discussions on the issue had ended following the death of Ajit Pawar.

NCP (SP) spokesperson Pravin Kunte Patil termed reports about a possible merger between the two factions “completely false”, alleging that such speculation was being deliberately circulated to divert public attention from pressing issues in Maharashtra.

In a statement, Kunte Patil said the party would not merge with any other political outfit.

“Our official stand is that those who wish to merge should join our party,” he said.

His remarks came after NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule categorically ruled out any ongoing merger discussions, saying the matter had come to a halt for her and her party after the death of her cousin Ajit Pawar.

“When my brother (then NCP chief Ajit Pawar) was alive, there were discussions about a merger. A date had also been decided. But the day my brother passed away, the merger issue came to a full stop for me and within our party,” Sule told reporters on Saturday.

The Baramati MP also clarified that she had not received any communication from the Ajit Pawar-led faction regarding a possible merger.

“Not a single phone call, WhatsApp message, SMS, letter or email has come to me from anyone in the Ajit Pawar faction regarding a merger. Nobody has contacted me. No one has met me regarding this,” she said.

NCP-SP ACCUSES MEDIA REPORTS OF DIVERTING ATTENTION

Kunte Patil alleged that merger speculation was being used to shift the focus away from issues such as drought, inflation, unemployment, alleged vote theft and irregularities in Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) examinations.

Sule, too, expressed frustration over repeated questions about the possible reunion, urging the media to focus on substantive policy issues, including the FCRA Bill and One Nation, One Election.

She also rejected speculation about her party joining the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

“There has been no discussion on joining the NDA. When there has been no beginning, where does the question of a full stop arise?” she said.

FADNAVIS DENIES MERGER DISCUSSION WITH SUNETRA PAWAR

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also dismissed speculation about a possible merger, saying the issue did not come up during his meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Saturday.

Fadnavis said Sunetra Pawar had met him regarding government-related work and that no political discussion on the merger had taken place.

“Sunetra tai had come to me regarding government work. There was no discussion anywhere about any merger. I will once again say that had there been any discussion regarding a merger, they (ally NCP) would have spoken to us (BJP) as we are together in power,” he said.

He added that neither faction had approached the BJP on the issue.

“No one has talked about any merger with us. If it had started, they would have told us about it. These discussions are something we only hear about in the media,” Fadnavis said.

Speculation about a possible reunion between the two NCP factions had intensified after leaders from the Sunetra Pawar-led party, including Praful Patel and Parth Pawar, visited Sharad Pawar when he was hospitalised earlier this month.

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What did Supriya Sule say about the NCP merger talks after Ajit Pawar’s death?

Supriya Sule stated that any discussions regarding a merger between the NCP factions came to a full stop following the death of her cousin Ajit Pawar. She added that she had received no communication, proposal, or messages from anyone in the Ajit Pawar-led faction about a reunification.

What did Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis say about the merger rumors?

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the merger speculation, stating that the issue was not brought up during his meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Saturday. He noted that had any merger discussions begun, the allied NCP faction would have informed the BJP as partners in power.

Why does the NCP-SP allege that media reports of a merger are being circulated?

NCP-SP spokesperson Pravin Kunte Patil alleged that speculation about a possible merger was being deliberately circulated to divert public attention from pressing issues in Maharashtra, such as drought, inflation, unemployment, alleged vote theft, and irregularities in MPSC examinations.

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Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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