NCP reunification on cards? CM Fadnavis' talks with leaders of both factions fuels buzz

NEW DELHI: Speculation is rife over a possible change in the equations of Maharashtra politics after leaders from both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at his official residence.However, news agency PTI, citing sources, reported that Jayant Patil met Fadnavis at his official residence, 'Varsha', in Mumbai late on Tuesday night regarding an issue in his Uran-Ishwarpur constituency in Sangli district.

Declining to elaborate, sources told PTI that Patil and ruling NCP leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare did not meet the chief minister together.The meeting comes as buzz over a possible merger of the two factions gathered pace once again.In the days following the plane crash of Ajit Pawar, several members of the NCP (SP) had said that Ajit Pawar had initiated talks with senior leader Jayant Patil for the merger. However, NCP leaders, including Tatkare and national president Praful Patel, had refuted these claims.Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut played down the reported meeting, claiming that rumours about Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress are being spread deliberately"Jayant Patil is an important leader of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and also a key leader of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

These rumours about Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress are being spread deliberately," Raut said."The BJP and the Shinde faction have not accomplished much, so such rumours are being circulated. I just spoke to Supriya Sule. She too is surprised by these reports and will explain everything in detail at today's press conference," he added.Earlier, former Union minister and veteran Congress leader P Chidambaram accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of "wooing NCP (SP) and the DMK" to garner the crucial votes needed to support the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill proposing to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha to 850 seats and initiate delimitation during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.Chidambaram, in a post on X on Tuesday, claimed, "After splitting the TMC, the BJP is reportedly wooing the NCP (SP) and the DMK to garner the crucial votes to support the new version of the failed Bill."The former home minister urged the two regional parties not to support the bill.He claimed that the delimitation of constituencies under the present formula would cause "grave injustice" to the rights of states that had faithfully followed the National Population Policy and contained the growth of their populations."States' rights must be fiercely guarded against the rampaging BJP," the Congress leader said.