Pressure mounts on Sharad Pawar as half of NCP (SP) MLAs back NDA move
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With speculation over Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) likely joining the ruling NDA alliance becoming increasingly apparent, nearly half of the party's MLAs have reportedly expressed their willingness to join the NDA rather than merge with the Congress or remain in the opposition.
While party chief Sharad Pawar and his daughter, Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule, have both avoided commenting on the possibility without explicitly ruling it out, senior leader Jayant Patil has said that at least half of the party's MLAs favour joining the NDA, according to The Indian Express.
The growing clamour from within the NCP (SP) reflects not merely political calculations but mounting administrative concerns. According to senior party leaders, at least five of the party's ten MLAs believe that remaining in the opposition has severely restricted their ability to secure development funds and obtain administrative clearances for projects in their constituencies. They argue that joining the ruling alliance would better serve the interests of their electorate.
Party insiders said discussions over the future course of the organisation have become a near-daily affair.
Several legislators have also voiced dissatisfaction with what they describe as the party's inconsistent political approach, pointing to repeated instances where it either abstained from voting or refrained from aggressively opposing the government on key issues.
For them, formally joining the NDA would provide greater political clarity than continuing in an ambiguous position within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
The debate has gained further momentum following the recent defection of six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, with the legislators citing easier access to government approvals and developmental resources as a major factor behind their decision.
Their exit has prompted fresh speculation over the NCP (SP)'s future, even as some observers suggested that a merger with the Congress could help preserve the party's organisational strength. However, Congress leaders in Maharashtra are learnt to have advised against a formal merger, preferring instead to induct individual leaders willing to join the party.
Political developments in recent days have further fuelled the speculation. Sharad Pawar's unscheduled visit to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's office at the state legislature, followed by meetings between Jayant Patil, NCP (SP) MLC Eknath Khadse and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Vinod Tawde, has been widely interpreted as signs of intensifying political engagement. Khadse subsequently also met Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.
The meetings, particularly Pawar's interaction with Shinde, drew criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, who remarked that such engagements under the roof of "the traitor who overthrew our government" undermined the credibility of a senior leader and caused resentment within the alliance.
