No move to NDA: Sharad Pawar ends speculation, directs NCP(SP) workers to rebuild from Oppn benches
Mumbai, Aug 17 (IANS) In a decisive move aimed at dispelling weeks of intense political rumour-mongering, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief, Sharad Pawar, has explicitly informed party workers that the organisation will remain firmly in the Opposition and not join the NDA.
Speaking during a crucial two-day internal strategy session held over the weekend, the Maratha strongman directed party workers to ignore realignment chatter and focus on grassroots mobilisation to challenge the ruling establishment in Maharashtra and at the national level.
The internal directive definitively puts to rest persistent speculation that the NCP(SP) was contemplating a shift towards the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or the ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra.
It also formally closes the door on any potential reunion or merger with the faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar.
The explicit stance from the NCP founder serves as a key stabilising development for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition in Maharashtra, reassuring its primary partners—the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Indian National Congress (INC).
Rumours of a potential rift within the MVA had intensified over recent weeks following high-level courtesy visits and administrative meetings.
A delegation of eight NCP(SP) Lok Sabha MPs led by Working President Supriya Sule and MP Bajrang Sonawane recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Additionally, Sharad Pawar’s routine courtesy meetings with government executives further fuelled political realignment theories.
Addressing these misgivings, the party leadership clarified that administrative dialogues with central and state ministers are purely intended to pursue constituency development, agrarian relief, and public interest matters — a standard parliamentary approach that does not compromise the party’s core political opposition stance.
Outlining the party’s action plan following the strategy meetings, Maharashtra unit president Shashikant Shinde confirmed that the NCP(SP) is launching a comprehensive campaign across the state.
“Our party President Sharad Pawar personally attended the two-day strategy session and clarified our stand very clearly. NCP(SP) will work as an effective Opposition in the state and at the national level. The party will launch a statewide exercise including tours, workshops, brainstorming sessions, and public agitations focussing on further strengthening the party organisation,” Shinde stated.
Senior leaders, including Supriya Sule and Shashikant Shinde, have already concluded organisational review meetings across four major regions — Vidarbha, Western Maharashtra, North Maharashtra, and Marathwada — with the Konkan region scheduled next.
District heads have been instructed to immediately fill vacant organisational posts created after the July 2023 party split and prepare local units for aggressive street-level agitations focussed on local civic, economic, and agricultural crises.
Political observers note that Sharad Pawar’s firm refusal to align with the BJP allows the NCP(SP) to protect its secular and regional identity, maintaining a distinct ideological separation from the faction led by Sunetra Pawar.
Strengthening district-level machinery positions the NCP(SP) to effectively contest local body and state elections within the MVA seat-sharing frameworks.
Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar’s direct instruction eliminates speculative narratives, ensuring the party mobilises as an active Opposition force across Maharashtra.
(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@isns.in)
–IANS
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