NCP Merger Buzz: Pune MLAs Back Sunetra Pawar at Jijai Meeting, Deny Talks; Rohit Pawar Hits Out at Fadnavis
Pune district NCP MLAs met Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar at Jijai bungalow on Friday, denying merger talks but leaving the decision to her. Here is what each side said.
Photo: Prashant Nadar / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pune, 14th November 2026: NCP legislators from Pune district met Deputy Chief Minister and party chief Sunetra Pawar at the family’s Jijai bungalow in Pune on Friday, November 13, and said the possible merger with Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) was not discussed, but that any decision would be hers to take.
“Whatever decision she takes will be acceptable to everyone,” Agriculture Minister and Indapur MLA Dattatray Bharne said, The Free Press Journal reported.
The meeting came amid a week of speculation about reuniting the two NCP factions, which split in 2023.
Who attended
Parth Pawar was present from the start and Jay Pawar joined later. The MLAs at the meeting were:
- Dattatray Bharne (Indapur)
- Shankar Mandekar (Bhor)
- Sunil Shelke (Maval)
- Chetan Tupe (Hadapsar)
- Anna Bansode (Pimpri)
- Dilip Walse Patil (Ambegaon)
- Mauli Katke (Shirur-Haveli)
What the MLAs said
Bharne said the visit was partly because the Pawar family had not celebrated Diwali this year after the death of former Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
Sunil Shelke called it a courtesy visit and said no NCP MLA was in touch with the Sharad Pawar faction. Mauli Katke backed Sunetra Pawar and demanded the Finance portfolio for the NCP.
Senior leader Umesh Patil said, “We are tired of clarifying that there are no discussions on the merger.”
The MLAs said they discussed drought, pending development funds and farmers’ issues.
How the speculation started
Talk of a merger grew after Praful Patel and Parth Pawar met Sharad Pawar. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut claimed 20 to 22 NCP MLAs were in touch with the NCP (SP).
Asked about a merger in Baramati on November 11, Sunetra Pawar said things “will become clear in due time”, Sakal reported.
Fadnavis and Rohit Pawar
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on November 10 that only Sharad Pawar and Sunetra Pawar could say whether the parties would reunite, and that a merger could not happen without consulting the BJP, PTI reported.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar replied on X that the remark showed “arrogance” of power. He accused the BJP of trying to pressure the late Ajit Pawar over the Mundhwa land case, in which an FIR has been registered.
Why it matters for Pune
The NCP holds several assembly seats in Pune district, and Sunetra Pawar is Pune’s guardian minister. A merger, or a split in the ruling alliance, would affect local bodies such as the PMC and PCMC, where seat-sharing for future polls is already a sensitive issue. Read our earlier report on the Gokul dairy chairman election for how alliance politics plays out locally.
What is still not clear
Neither faction has announced talks, and Sharad Pawar has not commented publicly on the latest meetings. We will update this story. More in our politics section.
Frequently asked questions
Is the NCP merger happening?
No merger has been announced. Pune MLAs said it was not discussed and that Sunetra Pawar will decide.
Where did NCP MLAs meet Sunetra Pawar?
At the Pawar family’s Jijai bungalow in Pune on 13 November 2026.
What did Devendra Fadnavis say about the NCP merger?
He said only Sharad Pawar and Sunetra Pawar could clarify, and that a merger could not happen without consulting the BJP.
What did Rohit Pawar say?
Rohit Pawar called Fadnavis’s remark arrogant and accused the BJP of pressuring the late Ajit Pawar over the Mundhwa land case.
