The top leadership of the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday refuted speculation that their faction would be merging with their ally Congress.
Mr. Pawar recently lost control over the name of his party (which he had founded in 1999) along with the NCP’s iconic clock symbol after the Election Commission awarded both to the rebel NCP faction led by his nephew, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar who had split the NCP in July last year. As a one-time option ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls, the Election Commission approved a new name – ‘Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar’ – for the NCP patriarch’s group.
The speculation that this group would soon be merging with the Congress was triggered by a remark made by a former NCP leader Mangaldas Bandal, while speaking to reporters in Pune during a meeting of the Sharad Pawar group leaders at Mr. Pawar’s Modi Baug residence in the city.
