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New Delhi : Political activity in Maharashtra has intensified following a recent meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Amidst the rhetoric emerging from various political factions, a Congress leader has advised Sharad Pawar to join the Congress party. Senior Congress leader Hussain Dalwai has claimed that the NCP, as a political entity, will not be able to survive for much longer, and suggested that Sharad Pawar should join the Congress.
Former Congress MP Hussain Dalwai made these remarks while speaking to journalists. He stated that, given the current political landscape, Sharad Pawar is left with very limited options. Dalwai remarked, “The NCP will cease to exist it simply won’t survive. Pawar saheb is unwell, so I won’t say too much, but it would be best for him to join the Congress.”
Dalwai further noted that Sharad Pawar does not have many paths left open to him. “What other choice does he have?” Dalwai asked. “He can either join the BJP or the Congress. If he favors the BJP, he should go there.” He added, “In my view, he believes in the ideologies of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and the Constitution; therefore, in my opinion, he has no alternative but to join the Congress.” “Joining the Congress is the only way for his well-being.”
Earlier, on Sunday, senior NCP leaders met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The meeting was attended by prominent party figures, including Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Dilip Walse Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Dhananjay Munde. Notably, NCP chief Ajit Pawar, his wife Sunetra Pawar, and their sons Parth and Jay did not participate in the meeting. This sparked speculation regarding internal rifts within the party. However, on Monday, the NCP dismissed reports of any such discord, describing the meeting as a routine affair.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut questioned the meeting between the NCP leaders and Amit Shah. Last Tuesday, Raut alleged that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders are acting at the behest of the BJP and will soon join the saffron party. Speaking to reporters, the Rajya Sabha member remarked that the NCP is no longer “Ajit Pawar’s party.” Raut further claimed that the NCP has been left “orphaned” following the death of Ajit Pawar in a plane crash this past January.
It is worth noting that Sharad Pawar founded the NCP in 1999. The party split in July 2023, with Ajit Pawar who served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra joining the Eknath Shinde-led ‘Mahayuti’ government. Ajit Pawar continued to serve as Deputy Chief Minister even after Devendra Fadnavis assumed the office of Chief Minister following the November 2024 assembly elections.
Amidst these developments, Sharad Pawar, chief of the NCP (SP), was admitted to a private hospital in Pune on Monday after complaining of chest pain. His daughter, Supriya Sule a Lok Sabha MP from Baramati and working president of the NCP (SP) shared on the social media platform ‘X’ that the 85-year-old leader was taken to Ruby Hall Clinic following a bout of coughing. Sule stated that Sharad Pawar is undergoing medical examinations and that his condition remains stable.
Report : Abhijit Tushar Bhatt (Political Editor)
