Senior leaders of NCP knew about the merger, says Jayant Patil
Jayant Patil, a senior leader of the NCP-SP, claimed that several NCP leaders, including Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, and Chhagan Bhujbal, were aware of the merger between the two factions. He stated that the decision was made on January 16th and planned to be announced on February 8th, but was postponed due to a wedding in Delhi. Sharad Pawar, meanwhile, denied knowledge of the merger plan and its details, including the vacant Deputy Chief Minister position and his daughter-in-law's appointment. The statements have sparked political debate following Ajit Pawar's death on Wednesday.
1 FEB 2026
— The Hindu
Sunetra Pawar was appointed Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister following the death of Ajit Pawar.
— The Hindu
Piyush Goyal's claim that Praful Patel was appointed NCP president was denied by Patel, who emphasized democratic processes for leadership decisions.
4 FEB 2026
— The Hindu
Sharad Pawar, NCP leader, clarified that Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra Chief Minister, is not involved in merger talks and Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil are leading the discussions.
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