According to Sharad Pawar, Ajit and MLA Jayant Patil were engaged in merger talks, adding that he himself also wanted both sides to come together.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar on Saturday indicated that the process to merge the two NCPs, which was slated for February 12, has halted following the death of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. He suggested that leaders from the Ajit Pawar camp are no longer keen on the merger despite his own party’s willingness.

Speaking at a press conference, his first amid the rapidly unfolding political developments after Ajit Pawar’s demise, Sharad Pawar said the merger talks, which had been underway for four months, have been interrupted, creating uncertainty about the party’s future direction.

“Unfortunately, Ajit Pawar’s plane crash has halted the merger talks,” Sharad Pawar said, adding that there had been a shared desire for unity. “Our desire is also that the two sides should come together.”

Pawar’s remarks come amid speculation that the urgency shown by Sunetra Pawar, Ajit Pawar's widow, in taking oath as deputy chief minister was driven by anxieties within the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction. Leaders from that camp privately say the move was prompted by pressure from the other faction to push through a merger, and a growing realisation that without a strong power centre, the party could drift and lose cohesion.

Sharad Pawar hinted at these concerns while reflecting on the developments. “There may be a feeling that someone has to take responsibility of the NCP and possibly out of this reason, the latest development (Sunetra Pawar's oath taking ceremony) may be taking place,” he said. Sunetra Pawar will take oath at 5pm on Saturday.

Pawar senior said that Ajit Pawar had proposed February 12 as a tentative date for the merger and had been actively involved in discussions. “Ajit Pawar was an effective leader,” he said, underlining his central role in keeping the talks alive.

Sharad Pawar sought to distance himself from the negotiations, saying he was not directly involved. “While I was not involved in the merger talks, it was taking place between Jayant Patil from my party and Ajit Pawar from the NCP,” he said.