Praful Patel plans second meeting with Sharad Pawar as Parth calls on him again

Patel’s remarks come as fault lines deepen within the NCP led by Sunetra Pawar, with her son Parth taking greater control of the party

MUMBAI: Only three days after meeting NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar in hospital, where the latter had been admitted, NCP working president Praful Patel said he would try to meet Pawar again at his Mumbai residence after November 10. Patel said the proposed meeting should not be given any political colour, adding that his respect for the veteran leader was, is and will always remain.

Praful Patel’s remarks come as fault lines deepen within the NCP led by Sunetra Pawar, with her son Parth taking greater control of the party. (Snehal Sontakke)

Patel’s remarks come as fault lines deepen within the NCP led by Sunetra Pawar, with her son Parth taking greater control of the party. They also come as talk of the proposed merger between the two NCPs has resurfaced.

Parth, for his part, met NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, his grand-uncle, for the second day in a row at the latter’s Mumbai residence on Sunday. The meeting is believed to have lasted around two hours.

The NCP is an ally of the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, and six senior NCP leaders, including Patel, met Union home minister Amit Shah on November 1 in New Delhi, giving the merger talks fresh momentum. The six leaders are believed to have expressed their willingness for a reunion of the two factions.

When Patel met Sharad Pawar on Friday, Pawar is believed to have asked Patel about the NCP delegation’s meeting with Shah. Asked what they had talked about, Patel replied cryptically, “I did not want to have any elaborate discussion at the hospital, and it would not have been appropriate either. In the present circumstances, what kind of discussion could we possibly have in a hospital? This is something that everyone can understand.”

Patel, who was visiting Maharashtra’s Gondia district on Sunday, added, “My respect for Pawar Saheb was, is and will always remain. Everyone wishes that he remains in good health and continues to guide the state and the country.”

He also said, “All I meant when I said I would meet him after November 10 was that I would return from Gondia and, instead of meeting him at the hospital, would visit him at home so that we could talk,” he said, adding, “Please do not assume that this necessarily had any political significance.”

Commenting on the possible merger, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “Ultimately, this is a matter between two independent political parties, and they are capable enough of taking their own decisions. On one side, there is a senior leader like Sharad Pawar, while on the other are Sunetra Tai, Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and Parth Pawar. Therefore, I feel it would be inappropriate for us to take a stand or make public comments on the matter until they take a decision,” Fadnavis said.

However, he did say the BJP, as the senior partner in the NDA government at the centre, would expect to be consulted if merger negotiations were indeed underway. “One thing I know for certain is that if merger talks are taking place, they would have consulted us, as the BJP is the major partner in the NDA alliance. However, neither of the two factions has confirmed to us that any merger discussions are underway,” he said.

NCP chief spokesperson Umesh Patil dismissed speculation about merger talks, maintaining that Parth’s visits to Pawar’s residence were purely personal. He said Parth had been invited to the Diwali gathering as a family member. “The speculation in the media is unnecessary. Yesterday, Parth Dada went to meet Pawar Saheb after he was discharged from hospital, and today he was invited to a Diwali gathering,” Patil told the Hindustan Times.

Patil is downplaying the possible merger as both Sunetra Pawar and Parth are vehemently opposed to any reunion between the two NCPs, while a section of senior NCP leaders feels otherwise.