A major political development is emerging in Maharashtra, with intense discussions underway around the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). On one hand, there is speculation that Sumitra Pawar, the wife of Ajit Pawar, could be made Deputy Chief Minister. On the other hand, talks regarding the merger of the two rival NCP factions—the Ajit Pawar group and the Sharad Pawar group—have gained momentum. Senior NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Anil Deshmukh stated that Ajit Pawar had a heartfelt desire to reunite both factions of the party. He said that Ajit Pawar strongly believed the NCP should come together and that several discussions had already taken place among leaders from both sides. According to Deshmukh, this was Ajit Pawar’s final wish, and many feel it should be respected. However, he clarified that no final decision can be taken until the entire Pawar family sits together and reaches a consensus. Deshmukh also revealed that preliminary talks regarding the merger had already been completed, but a sudden and unfortunate incident halted the process temporarily. Adding to this, senior leader and former minister Eknath Khadse claimed that the merger of both NCP factions was already decided and is inevitable. He asserted that despite recent events, both NCP groups will reunite in the near future.

