Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief and former Union Minister Sharad Pawar’s remark that several regional parties could merge with the Congress in the near future has triggered speculation of Mr. Pawar’s own NCP (SP) faction assimilating within the Congress fold.
In an interview with a prominent English daily, Mr. Pawar, who had split the Congress in 1999 by walking out and founding the NCP, spoke of how several regional parties would associate more closely with the Congress over the next two years or consider the option of merging with the Congress. Mr. Pawar said he did not see any difference between the Congress and the NCP (SP) given that both were ideologically similar.
Mr. Pawar’s remarks were met approvingly by Maharashtra Congress leaders, with Leader of Opposition and senior Congressman Vijay Wadettiwar on Wednesday calling the 83-year-old NCP patriarch an adherent of Gandhian ideals who understood the need for a strong Congress in the country in order to preserve democracy.
