Pune: Veteran politician Sharad Pawar on Tuesday dismissed the possibility of a merger between the two NCP factions, following the recent spate of meetings between their senior members in New Delhi. Speculations also continued to be rife that Pawar’s party may join hands with the NDA.Sources said NCP (SP) is yet to explore all options.Pawar was in his hometown Baramati on Tuesday where he was asked about merger possibility during media interaction. He told reporters, “no question”, and did not elaborate.The merger possibility and Pawar’s party moving closer to NDA had taken a backseat during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s protest. However, while the stir was at its peak, Pawar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting led to talks of his party still exploring the option to move closer to NDA. Soon after, Pawar’s grandnephew and Rajya Sabha member of NCP Parth met PM Modi along with the party’s working president Praful Patel in New Delhi, last week.Patel and state president Sunil Tatkare had spoken against the merger between the two factions after former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s death and had taken on NCP (SP). The politicians have now softened their stand on senior Pawar. Tatkare visited Pawar’s house in Mumbai and had a closed door discussion with him last month, after not meeting the NCP (SP) chief for three years after the core party split.On Monday, Tatkare met Union home minister Amit Shah. Soon after the meeting, on the same day, NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule and Beed MP Bajrang Sonawane held a meeting with the home minister. Speaking to reporters, Sonawane said, “We met Amit Shah to invite him for the reception of Supriya tai’s daughter in Delhi. All our eight MPs continue to remain united.”Meanwhile, sources said many members of both NCPs have a positive stance towards a merger. “They feel it will strengthen the party in state and national politics. However, some have expressed their reservations about it and the future leadership too. Party seniors continue to discuss the issues though,” said a senior NCP member.Sharad Pawar to invite PM Modi to BaramatiNCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar is expected to invite PM Modi to his hometown Baramati in the first week of Oct. Vidya Pratishthan, headed by Pawar, has constructed a dome where a Buddha idol will be consecrated. Pawar will likely send a formal invitation to PM Modi to inaugurate the dome based on the request of the Pratishthan’s trustees. The PM had visited Baramati on Pawar’s invitation in 2015.
