Parth Pawar visits Sharad Pawar after discharge from hospital; NCP leaders gather at Silver Oak amid merger buzz

Son of the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Parth Pawar paid a visit to his grandfather and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar at their residence Silver Oak in Mumbai on Saturday. Parth's trip followed Sharad Pawar's discharge from Breach Candy Hospital. Other senior NCP (SP) leaders present included MLAs Jitendra Awhad and Jayant Patil, party state president Shashikant Shinde and former minister Anil Deshmukh.

The gathering underscores speculation about a potential merger between two factions within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which fractured in July 2023 when Ajit Pawar and several senior members joined the BJP-led Mahayuti government. Earlier this month, NCP working president Praful Patel met Sharad Pawar at Breach Candy Hospital on November 5, agreeing to a further meeting after November 10. This conversation, captured in a video, fueled talks about reunifying the factions.

Adding fuel to merger speculation, Maharashtra NCP president Sunil Tatkare confirmed discussions occurred regarding the merger when Ajit Pawar was alive. Tatkare revealed that the merger would have been official on February 12 if not for Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash on January 28. The party's internal strife is further highlighted by recent meetings between dissident leaders, such as Patel, Tatkare and others, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, despite party president Sunetra Pawar and her sons Parth and Jay not attending.

The absence of the party leadership has led to rumors of discontent and Parth Pawar's increasing influence within the NCP.