NCP Denies Sunetra Pawar Was Sidelined After Amit Shah Meet

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has dismissed speculation about internal differences following a meeting between six senior party leaders and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, insisting that the interaction had been planned in advance and did not indicate any leadership dispute.

The party rejected claims that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Sunetra Pawar and Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar had been sidelined. National chief spokesperson Umesh Patil described reports suggesting their exclusion as “incorrect, baseless and misleading”, according to news agency PTI.

The clarification came after senior NCP leaders Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Dilip Walse Patil, Hassan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde met Shah in Delhi on Monday morning. The meeting triggered speculation about a possible merger between the two NCP factions and its potential implications for Sunetra Pawar’s leadership.

NCP Says Meeting With Amit Shah Was Planned in Advance

Umesh Patil said the meeting with Shah had been arranged earlier and was part of the party’s regular political engagement. He maintained that the discussions focused on party affairs, Maharashtra’s interests and issues concerning individual constituencies.

Patil also said Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar had previously met Shah to discuss matters concerning the party following the death of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

During that interaction, Sunetra Pawar had reportedly informed Shah that a delegation of senior NCP leaders would meet him and had requested an appointment, according to Patil.

The leaders also raised constituency-related concerns and held informal discussions with representatives of other parties in the Mahayuti alliance, he added.

Party Rejects Claims That Sunetra and Parth Pawar Were Sidelined

The NCP spokesperson criticised attempts to portray the Delhi meeting as evidence of a leadership dispute. He said reports suggesting a lack of coordination within the party were creating an unnecessary political narrative.

Patil reiterated that the NCP remained united under Sunetra Pawar’s leadership and continued to be an important constituent of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra.

He also urged media organisations to verify information before publishing reports about the party, arguing that formal meetings between leaders of alliance partners should not automatically be given a political interpretation.

The party maintained that the meeting was a pre-arranged interaction concerning organisational matters, state-level issues and constituency concerns, rather than an attempt to exclude its president or her son from important discussions.

Did the Meeting Trigger Speculation About an NCP Merger?

The presence of six senior NCP leaders at the meeting with Amit Shah prompted speculation that the BJP could be exploring a merger between the two factions of the NCP to strengthen the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Such speculation also raised questions about the future leadership structure of the party, particularly the position of Sunetra Pawar, wife of late Ajit Pawar, and her son Parth Pawar.

However, the NCP rejected suggestions that the meeting reflected a move to sideline either of them. The party’s clarification presented the interaction as part of its engagement with the BJP-led alliance leadership.

Ajit Pawar’s Death Left a Leadership Vacuum in the NCP

The death of Ajit Pawar in January this year created a leadership transition within the NCP. His wife, Sunetra Pawar, subsequently took over the party’s leadership.

However, questions about the party’s organisational structure and leadership arrangements emerged in the months that followed. In July, NCP national secretary Sachchidanand Singh challenged the process through which Sunetra Pawar was elected party president and sought fresh organisational elections.

The challenge reportedly came amid concerns within a section of the party over Parth Pawar’s growing influence in organisational affairs. Some leaders were said to be unhappy with the responsibilities being assigned to him.

Praful Patel Had Earlier Called for Corrective Measures

Praful Patel, the NCP working president who was part of the delegation that met Amit Shah, had previously acknowledged organisational challenges within the party and called for “corrective measures”.

However, Patel dismissed the allegations raised by Sachchidanand Singh, saying they carried no weight.

The latest meeting with Shah has brought renewed attention to the NCP’s internal leadership arrangements following Ajit Pawar’s death. While speculation about factional differences and a possible merger continues, the party has maintained that its senior leaders remain coordinated under Sunetra Pawar’s leadership and that the Delhi discussions were planned in advance.