Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, May 10: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule added to the political buzz on Friday amid speculation about a possible reconciliation between the two rival NCP factions — one led by her father, Sharad Pawar, and the other by her cousin, Ajit Pawar.

Responding to media questions, Sule said she was unaware of her father's recent remarks suggesting that a section of the party was open to reuniting with Ajit Pawar's group. “I have not read or heard what Pawar-saheb has said,” she said, carefully sidestepping direct endorsement or rejection of the idea. When pressed further, she added, “Once Pawar-saheb has spoken, how can I comment on it?”

Sharad Pawar, in a recent interview, indicated that although he is no longer actively managing party affairs, discussions on such strategic moves should be handled by Supriya. His statement sparked speculation over whether the senior Pawar is softening his stance towards his nephew, who parted ways with the original NCP in 2023 to join hands with the BJP-Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) coalition.

The 2023 split had seen Ajit Pawar walk away with a majority of the party’s MLAs and secure recognition for his faction’s use of the party name and symbol via the Election Commission.

Reacting to the ongoing speculation, NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar echoed Sule’s measured tone, saying that discussions, if any, should be reserved for internal party forums. “If anyone has expressed such views, they could be personal. Pawar-saheb will take a call. When he convenes a meeting, I’ll share my thoughts there — not here,” Rohit said.

Supriya Sule concluded by saying she would review her father’s full statement and context before commenting further, maintaining a diplomatic posture as talks of a possible political rapprochement gain momentum.