Sharad Pawar : 'Fadnavis's Intervention in NCP Merger Talks', Direct Question from Sharad Pawar

The potential merger of both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party has once again stirred the politics of the state. The late Ajit Pawar was in favor of both Nationalist Congress parties coming together, and an official announcement regarding this was to be made on February 12, as claimed by Sharad Pawar earlier. However, it has been clarified by the Ajit Pawar faction that this decision was only for the municipal elections, and no formal merger discussions have taken place. Against this backdrop, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while reacting, stated that if discussions about the merger of both Nationalists had taken place, Ajit Pawar would have informed the BJP as an ally party. This statement further heated the political atmosphere. On the same issue, Sharad Pawar held a press conference today and strongly targeted Fadnavis.

Sharad Pawar said, "Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was not involved in the discussions regarding the merger of both Nationalist Congress parties. Therefore, he has no right to speak on this." He reiterated that the discussions about the merger were between Jayant Patil and Ajit Pawar. He referred to Fadnavis's statements as "low-level politics" and advised avoiding unnecessary comments on the subject. Pawar also commented on the long-standing political and familial relationships between him and Ajit Pawar. "Ajitdada used to share many things openly with me. Therefore, the merger discussions were true," he said, reiterating these discussions. This has once again brought the internal politics of the Nationalist Congress into the spotlight.

In the press conference, Sharad Pawar made significant comments on national and international issues. He stated that in his 58 years of parliamentary career, working in the Maharashtra Assembly, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha, he was never absent. “There was an expectation that concrete and effective steps would be taken from the budget,” he also noted.

Speaking about the India-US trade agreement, Pawar said, "The picture regarding this agreement will become clear in the next two days." Although the US has reduced some tariffs, if the US starts exporting on a large scale, it could adversely affect Indian agriculture, he expressed concern. He emphasized that since the US is a powerful country, it is necessary to protect India's interests in this agreement. Overall, from discussions on the merger of the Nationalist Congress Party to international trade policies, Sharad Pawar's press conference has sparked new discussions in the state's and country's politics.