Representative image. Ministry of Defence, GODL-India, Wikimedia Commons
Why it matters
Both NCP factions have now said on record that no merger is under way, after weeks of speculation that followed a 1 November meeting with Amit Shah. Sule's delimitation remarks are the first account in these reports of a uniform 50% seat rise being put to opposition MPs.
Talks on reuniting the two factions of Maharashtra’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ended when Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash on 28 January 2026, Supriya Sule said on Saturday, 14 November. The NCP merger was being discussed while he was alive and a date had even been fixed, the Baramati MP told reporters, India Today reported.
Sule is working president of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), or NCP (SP), led by her father Sharad Pawar. The other faction, which Ajit Pawar led into the BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra, is now headed by his widow, Sunetra Pawar.
What Supriya Sule said about the NCP merger
“The day my brother passed away, a full stop was put to the merger,” Sule said, according to the Hindustan Times. She said her side had received no proposal from the rival faction by phone, WhatsApp, SMS, letter or email.
She also said she would stop answering the question. From now on she would keep quiet on the subject, India Today quoted her as saying, and she asked reporters to ask instead about the bills the Centre is bringing, including those before joint parliamentary committees (JPCs) on the foreign contribution law and One Nation, One Election.
Asked about Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, Sule called him a senior leader and like an elder brother who was free to give his views. Raut had recently claimed that about 20 to 22 MLAs of the other faction were in touch with Sharad Pawar, India Today reported. That is Raut’s claim; the faction’s state president has called such statements baseless.
The rival faction: “no discussion at any level”
The other side has also ruled out a merger. Sunil Tatkare, Maharashtra president of the NCP faction Ajit Pawar founded, said on Friday, 13 November, that there was no discussion of a merger in his party at any level, the Times of India reported, citing his remarks to the news agency ANI.
Tatkare said the faction joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after careful thought and would stay in it under its present leader. He described senior leader Praful Patel’s recent meeting with Sharad Pawar, now 86, as a visit to ask after his health, with no political meaning.
| Who | Position on the NCP merger, as reported |
|---|---|
| Supriya Sule, NCP (SP) | Talks happened and a date was fixed while Ajit Pawar was alive; ended with his death; no proposal received since |
| Sunil Tatkare, NCP (Ajit Pawar’s former faction) | No merger discussion at any level; faction stays in the NDA |
| Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena (UBT) | Claimed 20 to 22 MLAs of that faction are in touch with Sharad Pawar |
Why the NCP reunion talk came back
The talk returned this month. Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and Chhagan Bhujbal met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on 1 November, and the meeting reportedly covered differences inside the party and a possible merger, India Today said. She then met her party’s legislators at her official residence. Patel’s later visit to Sharad Pawar added to the speculation.
Here is how the split and the merger question have moved, from the reports read:
- 2023: Ajit Pawar breaks away from Sharad Pawar and joins the BJP-led Mahayuti government in Maharashtra.
- 28 January 2026: Ajit Pawar dies when his aircraft crashes while landing at Baramati airport in Pune district. His widow takes charge of his faction.
- 1 November 2026: Patel, Tatkare and Bhujbal meet Amit Shah in Delhi.
- 13 November 2026: Tatkare says no merger is being discussed.
- 14 November 2026: Sule says the talks ended with Ajit Pawar’s death and that she will not speak on it again.
Her account of a 50% delimitation proposal
Sule used the same press conference to speak on delimitation, the redrawing of parliamentary constituencies. She said the Centre had invited her, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi to a meeting where a uniform 50% rise in seats across all states was put forward, the Hindustan Times reported. This is her account of the meeting; the report did not carry a government statement on it.
Sawant said he would consult his party first. Sule said the NCP (SP) accepts the formula “in principle”. She said constituencies have grown from 12 to 14 lakh voters to 25 to 40 lakh, while the MP local area development fund stays at ₹5 crore. By NewsPlainly’s reading of her figures, that is roughly two to three times as many voters for each MP. More political news is on our Politics page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the NCP merger happening?
Both sides say no. Supriya Sule said on 14 November that talks ended with Ajit Pawar's death, and Sunil Tatkare said on 13 November there is no discussion at any level.
When did Ajit Pawar die?
On 28 January 2026, when his aircraft crashed while landing at Baramati airport in Pune district, the Times of India reported.
What did Supriya Sule say about delimitation?
She said the Centre put a uniform 50% rise in seats across all states to her and two other MPs, and that NCP (SP) accepts it in principle.