MUMBAI: NCP MP Sunil Tatkare on Monday said the party, under the leadership of late Ajit Pawar, had collectively decided to join the BJP-led NDA and would continue with that decision, adding that those talking about a merger of the two NCP factions must first clarify whether they agree to it.“There should be clarity on which party was to merge with which party,” Tatkare told reporters in Karad in Maharashtra’s Satara district.
He was accompanying Maharashtra’s newly appointed deputy chief minister and NCP leader Sunetra Pawar, who paid tributes at the memorial of the state’s first chief minister Y B Chavan in Karad.Sunetra Pawar took oath as deputy chief minister on Saturday, three days after her husband and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash at Baramati in Pune district. Ahead of the swearing-in, she was elected leader of the NCP legislature party at a meeting in Mumbai.Responding to questions on his reported opposition to the proposed merger, Tatkare said there was no difference of opinion between him and party MP Praful Patel on the issue.“Under the leadership of Ajit dada, we had taken a collective decision to join the BJP-led NDA, and the people of the state endorsed that decision in the Assembly elections. Those speaking about a merger should clarify whether they are in agreement with it,” he said.The Lok Sabha member also asserted that the NCP legislature party was strong enough to take independent decisions, including appointing its own leader.Leaders of the opposition NCP (SP), including party chief Sharad Pawar, have claimed that merger talks were at an advanced stage and that Ajit Pawar had finalised February 12 to announce a merger of the two NCP factions.Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday that if such talks were underway, Ajit Pawar would have shared the details with him.
