NCP (SP) rules out NDA alliance or merger with Ajit Pawar faction: Jayant Patil
Synopsis
NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil and MP Supriya Sule have jointly slammed the door on merger and NDA alliance rumours — on the same day, from different cities. Patil’s visits to the CM and Deputy CM had fuelled speculation about a cabinet berth; his response was to call media reports his ‘entertainment’. Maharashtra’s opposition bloc, for now, stays intact.
Key Takeaways
Jayant Patil on 18 July dismissed rumours of NCP (SP) joining the NDA or merging with the Sunetra Pawar -led NCP faction.
Patil clarified his visit to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was solely over the disqualification of the Islampur Municipal Council President — not any political deal.
MP Supriya Sule confirmed in Mumbai that merger talks are ‘permanently closed,’ citing the late Ajit Pawar’s unfulfilled wish for party unity.
Patil stated ‘not a single discussion’ on merger has taken place between the two NCP factions.
Both leaders reaffirmed that all NCP (SP) MLAs and MPs remain committed to the Opposition under Sharad Pawar .
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader and former minister Jayant Patil on Saturday, 18 July flatly dismissed rumours of his party joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or merging with the rival NCP faction headed by Sunetra Pawar. Speaking in Pandharpur, where he had gone to support protests against the Shaktipeeth Expressway, Patil called the speculation a source of amusement rather than concern.
Patil's Direct Rebuttal
Addressing reporters, Patil deployed pointed sarcasm to shut down the merger talk. “Has the NDA extended an invitation to us? If not, where is the question of joining them? We are not in any race, nor have we demanded any cabinet portfolios. Going by media reports over the last few days, it feels as though I have already been sworn in as a minister three times,” he said.
Patil also clarified the purpose of his recent visit to Varsha, the Chief Minister’s official residence in Mumbai. “I met the Chief Minister to address the wrongful disqualification of the Islampur Municipal Council President from my constituency. I did not meet Praful Patel or Sunil Tatkare there,” he stated, pushing back against suggestions that the meeting carried any political realignment subtext.
What Triggered the Speculation
The rumours gained traction after Patil visited Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Varsha, followed by a separate meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Reports in Maharashtra’s political circles subsequently claimed that Patil was being positioned as the next Finance Minister or Deputy Chief Minister of the state — claims he categorically rejected.
Speculation had also been building around a broader rapprochement between the two NCP factions: the NCP (SP) led by Sharad Pawar and the NCP faction aligned with Ajit Pawar. Patil dismissed any such back-channel engagement. “Not a single discussion has happened until this moment. Watching these speculative news reports is merely a source of entertainment for us,” he remarked.
Supriya Sule Puts a Full Stop
Patil’s denial was reinforced in Mumbai by MP Supriya Sule, who confirmed that the prospect of a merger between the two factions is definitively off the table. Sule invoked the memory of her late brother Ajit Pawar, who passed away approximately five months ago, to explain why the party had moved on from reunification hopes.
“My brother passed away about five months ago, and our family is still recovering from the loss. It was his last wish that both factions come together to serve the state and the country in harmony. I desired to fulfil his wish while he was with us, and even after he left. However, we are not seeing any reciprocal sentiment from the other side. Therefore, we have put a permanent full stop to this issue in our minds and within our party,” Sule said.
NCP (SP) Stance: Firmly in Opposition
Patil reaffirmed the party’s political positioning without ambiguity. “We are firmly working in the Opposition. I want to assure our workers that all our MLAs and MPs stand resolutely and loyally behind Sharad Pawar,” he said.
With both Patil and Sule issuing unequivocal denials on the same day, the NCP (SP) has effectively closed the door on any near-term realignment in Maharashtra’s already volatile political landscape. Whether the ruling Mahayuti coalition will make any fresh overtures remains to be seen.
Point of View
But any defection from the NCP (SP) would dramatically reshape the opposition’s viability ahead of the next state cycle. Sule’s invocation of her late brother’s final wish is emotionally powerful but also a reminder that the reunification door was once genuinely open — and that it closed because of what she describes as a lack of reciprocal sentiment from the other side, not a principled ideological rupture.
NationPress
18 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Jayant Patil say about NCP (SP) joining the NDA?
Jayant Patil categorically denied any plan for NCP (SP) to join the NDA or merge with the Sunetra Pawar-led NCP faction, calling media speculation his ‘entertainment.’ He said no invitation had been received from the NDA and the party had made no demands for cabinet portfolios.
Why did Jayant Patil meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis?
Patil clarified that his visit to the Chief Minister’s residence Varsha was strictly to address the wrongful disqualification of the Islampur Municipal Council President from his constituency. He denied meeting NCP leaders Praful Patel or Sunil Tatkare during the visit.
What did Supriya Sule say about the NCP merger?
MP Supriya Sule confirmed in Mumbai that the possibility of a merger between the two NCP factions is permanently closed. She said her late brother Ajit Pawar’s final wish had been for the two factions to reunite, but the absence of reciprocal sentiment from the other side led the party to put a full stop to the matter.
Where does NCP (SP) stand politically after these denials?
NCP (SP) remains firmly in the Opposition, with Patil assuring party workers that all MLAs and MPs stand loyally behind Sharad Pawar. Both Patil and Sule’s statements on 18 July effectively rule out any near-term realignment with the ruling Mahayuti coalition.
What triggered the NCP merger and NDA alliance rumours?
The speculation arose after Jayant Patil visited Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Varsha and subsequently met Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Reports claimed Patil was being considered for the post of Finance Minister or Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, which he denied.
