PM Modi Reacts to Potential NCP (SP) Merger with Congress: Is Sharad Pawar Nervous about Baramati?

Exclusive Interview of PM Narendra Modi to Rishi Darda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mocked NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar’s recent statement that smaller regional parties may come closer to or merge with the Congress in the coming years. In his recent interview with the joint managing director and editorial director of Lokmat Media Group Rishi Darda, PM Modi addressed a wide range of important topics including Sharad Pawar’s remark that several regional parties could merge with the Congress in the near future has triggered speculation of Mr. Pawar’s own NCP (SP) faction assimilating within the Congress fold. Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed that he was rather surprised on the veteran politician's comment which was sparked several conspiracy theories. Modi said, I was surprised to hear about Sharad Pawar saying that small parties should merge with the Congress in the future. Is this an indication of the result of the elections in Baramati? Or is it nervousness about the way the whole state is voting? Otherwise, why would Sharad Pawar, who once walked out of the Congress and formed his own party, now think of merging his party into the same Congress again? 

In an interview to a daily, Pawar said: “In the next couple of years, several regional parties will associate more closely with the Congress. Or they may look at the options of merging with the Congress if they believe that is best for their party.” However, in his party, he said: “I don’t see any difference between the Congress and us…ideologically we belong to the Gandhi, Nehru line of thinking - but added that decision on strategy and or next steps would be taken “collectively”.

After Pawar’s statement, the BJP-led Maha Yuti leaders including Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar hit out at him.Shinde, the chief leader of Shiv Sena, took a chance to hit out at his bete noire and predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, who now heads Shiv Sena (UBT). “As far as he (Thackeray) is concerned what remains is just a formality…Balasaheb Thackeray always kept the Congress at arm's length, yet Uddhav Thackeray forged an alliance with them. This move left Shiv Sainiks feeling disillusioned,” he said. 

Fadnavis said that it is just a matter of time that NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) would merge with Congress.  "It is nothing new because Pawar has formed new parties and later merged them with Congress,” Fadnavis said even as Ajit Pawar cited examples of some mergers in the past.   Senior politician  Sanjay Nirupam, who left the Congress to join Shiv Sena, said Pawar has been thinking about merging with the Congress for a long time and even the Congress had given the proposal to him. "But Congress rejected a proposal to entrust the leadership to Supriya Sule. Pawar's fresh comment suggests that the ground is slipping in Baramati. Even if that is not the case, he has no option but to merge with Congress which will be seen as a merger of two loss making companies, Nirupam said.