Rift widens between Cong-NCP (SP) amid reunification talk

Sule said she would discuss the repeated targeting of her party with the Congress leadership, even as NCP (SP) state chief Shashikant Shinde hit out at Wadettiwar

MUMBAI: Speculation over a possible reunification of the two NCP factions is pushing the Congress and NCP (SP) apart. Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Thursday alleged that NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule was among prominent Maratha leaders benefiting from OBC certificates.

Rift widens between Cong-NCP (SP) amid reunification talk

Denying the allegation, Sule said she would discuss the repeated targeting of her party with the Congress leadership, even as NCP (SP) state chief Shashikant Shinde hit out at Wadettiwar.

Within hours, Wadettiwar apologised on social media for his remarks against Sule.

“Most prominent Maratha leaders in Maharashtra already possess OBC or Kunbi certificates. MP Supriya Sule holds an OBC certificate,” he said. “Whether Sharad Pawar has an OBC certificate, I do not know,” he said.

This was the first direct attack by a Congress leader on a top NCP (SP) leader, despite both parties being constituents of the opposition-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition. Sule said she was “shocked” and challenged the Congress to produce the alleged certificate.

Expressing frustration at “repeated attacks” by state Congress leaders, Sule said she would raise the issue with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. “It saddens me to see the Maharashtra Congress targeting me every day. In Parliament, I am perhaps the person who defends the Congress the most. All eight of our MPs have stood firmly with the Congress, not for a year or two, but for the past 12 years,” she said.

Wadettiwar’s apology came soon after. “While expressing my views on the issue of OBC certificates, I inadvertently mentioned the name of MP Supriya Sule. I had no intention of making any allegation against her. I regret the inadvertent mention of her name and apologise for it,” Wadettiwar said in a post on X.

The latest exchange comes amid growing unease within the Congress over the NCP (SP)’s increased engagement with the BJP leadership amid persistent speculation that the Sharad Pawar-led NCP would reunite with the Sunetra Pawar-led NCP, a part of the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance.

There is also talk that the NCP (SP) could join the Mahayuti alliance as a separate constituent. Insiders say the NCP (SP) leadership has told the BJP it would support the controversial Delimitation Bill.

In light of the growing distance between the two political allies, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan recently urged the NCP (SP) to stay with the Congress-led INDIA bloc. “Sharad Pawar is a leader of leftist ideology and believes in the Phule-Shahu-Ambedkar philosophy. He should not go with those who believe in Manusmriti,” he said.