Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died on Wednesday after the chartered aircraft he was travelling in crashed while landing in Baramati. He was cremated with full state honours on Thursday. Leaders from across the political spectrum, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, attended his last rites.
Notably, following Ajit Pawar’s tragic demise, it has emerged that he had already prepared a roadmap for the merger of the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
According to sources, as many as seven meetings were held between senior leaders of both factions ahead of the municipal elections in Maharashtra.
These meetings saw the presence of senior leaders from both sides, including Jayant Patil, Supriya Sule, Shashikant Shinde, Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal, and several other prominent figures.
During these discussions, leaders from both camps reportedly felt that contesting elections separately was harming both factions. There was a growing consensus that fighting together, as they had in the past, could deliver stronger results across the state.
Final meeting held at Jayant Patil’s residence
A final and decisive meeting took place at Jayant Patil’s residence, just days before polling for the municipal elections. Ajit Pawar and all senior leaders from both sides were present. In this meeting, it was unanimously decided that Sharad Pawar would be formally informed about the proposal for reunification.
Sharad Pawar informed about merger decision
Following this, senior leaders met Sharad Pawar and conveyed the collective desire for a merger. During the same discussion, an important electoral strategy was finalised. It was decided that in the Zilla Parishad elections, candidates from both factions would contest primarily on the ‘Clock’ symbol. In constituencies where disputes arose, the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) would contest on the ‘Tutari’ symbol.
Sources further reveal that it was also decided that the official announcement of the merger would be made after the Zilla Parishad election results.
