What happened
Sharad Pawar publicly rejected ongoing speculation about a merger involving the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) faction and the NCP group led by Sunetra Pawar. Speaking to reporters in Baramati, Sharad Pawar said there is no relevance to reports claiming that talks on uniting the two political groups are in progress.
Background and earlier position
Recent months saw public claims by several leaders that the idea of uniting the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) faction and the NCP group led by Sunetra Pawar traced back to the last wishes of former NCP leader Ajit Pawar. These claims fed public debate about whether the two groups could align through a merger route.
What changed now
Sharad Pawar’s statement at Baramati functions as a direct clarification and a denial. The denial targets two linked parts of the speculation: (1) the existence of relevant talks for a merger, and (2) the asserted origin story that the merger idea came from Ajit Pawar’s last wishes.