Mumbai, Feb 18 Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday claimed that discussions had taken place regarding a possible merger between the two factions of the NCP and that Shirur Lok Sabha MP Amol Kolhe was proposed to be the state president of the unified party.
“As you all know, Ajit Dada was actively involved in the talks of merger between the two parties. It was decided to the extent that Amol Kolhe was to become the state president of the party,” Rohit Pawar said.
He further claimed that multiple meetings were held to discuss the proposed merger. “Around 13 meetings were held at the south Mumbai residence of Jayant Patil to plan the merger. Those who doubt can check the CCTV footage if needed,” he added.
Responding to the claims, Amol Kolhe said discussions had taken place in the past but added that the issue no longer held relevance.
“Everything started during my journey with Ajit Pawar on May 16. We travelled together on the day of the Malegaon sugar factory election. What Rohit Pawar has spoken today has been in the public domain for several days now. But the person who was holding the discussions and finalised everything is no more, and talking about everything that was fixed holds no meaning now,” Kolhe said.
Kolhe, a two-term Lok Sabha MP from Shirur constituency in Pune district, is also a well-known Marathi actor recognised for portraying Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in television serials. He is considered a prominent Other Backward Classes (OBC) face of the NCP-SP and is known for his oratory skills and political outreach.
Leaders from the NCP-SP faction have repeatedly referred to discussions involving late Ajit Pawar regarding a possible merger. However, senior leaders from the NCP faction, including Working President Praful Patel and State President Sunil Tatkare, have refrained from commenting on the matter.
Rohit Pawar’s remarks come at a time when Tatkare has reiterated that the NCP remains part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and will continue to remain aligned with it.
Earlier this week, the NCP leadership, after Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar chaired a meeting with party legislators, reportedly asked members not to publicly comment on the merger or reunion issue and authorised her to take decisions regarding organisational matters.
NCP-SP Working President Supriya Sule also said there was no point in discussing past developments, stating that Ajit Pawar was no longer alive to clarify the discussions.
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